Birds of a Feather
by BlurredFate
Summary: AU. Raven is a Assassin, unwillingly working for her father. He sends her on an assignment to kill the new CEO of Wayne Industries. Richard Wayne Greyson,or the Robin. It should have been simple. But everyone knows these things never are.
1. Default Chapter

Hello people. I have decided to create a Teen Titans fic. Yes, it is my first fic on this genre, and I hope I don't mess it up or anything. I have a pretty good idea on who everyone is and what the plotline is going to be, but I don't know if I'm going to somehow mess it up.

Yes, this is a romance fic. (mostly, but not the overly mushy kind) And just so all of you know now in advance. I am a big Raven/Robin fan. I have nothing against Starfire and Robin or anything, it's just that the dynamics of Rae/Rob are more appealing to me. So without further ado, read this story, and please don't think too badly of it.

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Summary: (in case all of this doesn't fit on the thingy) Raven is an assassin working for her father(even though she hates him) and is appointed to Kill the new CEO, Richard Wayne Greyson (Robin) of Wayne Industries. That's the main thing. Yes, the other titans will be here too. But you'll just have to find out they're role in this for yourselves. So Read and Review. (P.S. This is an AU)

Constructive Criticism is welcome. Flames and insults will be ignored.

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Birds Of a Feather...

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Prologue: The Flock

9:00 pm

"The Raven."

That's what they called her. Her code name. Her _Life. _Compelled to stay in the life of the shadows in her line of work. She stared grimly at the apartment building where her next assignment was. Slight annoyance marred her eerily emotionless face. 'Petty people, wanting people dead just so they could get more material possessions.....' she thought, ash she stared at the large houses and high class cars sprinkled throughout the streets. This place screamed of money.

'Time to work.' she thought, stalking to the dark alleyway. Who knew that such places would have such poor security? Oh well. That made her job a lot easier.

She entered her apartment using her powers, dark matter engulfed a side of the apartment, as she walked through it, to an inner hallway she wondered dimly if humans were really better off then demons were.

She was, in fact, a demon or at least half, her father was living proof of that, ever since she was a child, she was told that she was a child only good enough to bring death and suffering, heh, her father had never been much of a father anyway. He had forced her to learn the extent of her abilities, normally working her to the brink of death to learn new abilities, many of which she scarcely used. Just to spite her father.

'Demons kill for fun. Humans say they kill out of necessity. Right. Hiring someone to kill your husband for the insurance money isn't necessity.' She thought, thinking about her father's client. A rich ex-prostitute who married a business man for his money. He thought he was in long. He had been young, and stupid. Now he wasn't so young, but twice as stupid. Having fallen 'out of love' with his wife, (having found her in bed with other men on numerous occasions) the man threatened a divorce.

'And she couldn't have that....now could she?' Raven thought grimly as she walked up the stairs to the right door and knocked. 'Just had to have all that money for herself. Afraid to lose her only source of income, supporting her vivacious life style. Idiots. All of them'

The door opened, and a handsome blond man in probably his late 50's answered the door. "Hi." Raven said, cringing at the cheerful tone she had forced into her voice. "Umm.....are you Simon Jenson?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to maximize the curious effect.

"Yes." He said, staring at her suspiciously.

"Your wife wanted me to give you a message" Raven chirped, promising she'd treat herself to a nice hot steaming cup of herbal tea for putting herself through this. And to meditate all the forced cheerfulness out of her body. For probably a month.

The man glanced down the hallway, after seeing no one there, he ushered her inside, closing the door behind her. Raven followed him into the spacious Living room, staring at the huge tank of exotic fish in the corner. He turned around and looked at her.

"Now. What was it that my wife wanted to say to me?" he asked.

Raven pulled out a curved knife from the her belt and slammed it in his stomach, yanking it up towards his neck in a smooth, lightning fast movement. The man bent over. Looking at her with surprise as blood began to seep into the corner of his mouth, and flowing in gushes to the clean fluffy whit carpet , the life slowly beginning to fade from his eyes. She stared at him impassively, as she removed her knife from his body and frowned at it distastefully. She hated blood. So messy.

Once he was slumped in a lifeless, bloody mess on the floor, she turned around and expanded her power throughout the apartment complex, eradicating any of her DNA (though it was highly unlikely that she had left any) and anything else that might connect her with the crime. It was just a safety precaution, a habit she had built after years of working in this particular profession. Although, she could probably have forgotten to sweep the apartment clean, and they still wouldn't find any trace of her. She was, after all, the best her father had. Next she stared at the knife she was holding, dripping a small puddle of blood on it as well. Looking at it, she erased away all traces of the blood and DNA marring the perfect blue-silver steel.

She turned around to look at the body one last time, and felt compelled to tell him what his wife told her to tell him.

"Oh yes. And before I forget....Your wife says 'Die'"

She turned around and began waking away, glanced at the fish tank and sighed inaudibly. Who would feed the fish? She shook her head and began making her way to the entrance. Walking through the hallway and out the apartment door, she stopped only long enough to close the door silently, and wave a hand at the doorknob, locking it from the inside, and to sweep it clean. Using her power, (something her father had forced her to learn) She walked right through the walls. The walk beyond solid objects. Useful, but she didn't use it often. Why? Her father had taught it to her. That was reason enough.

Killing people didn't really bother her anymore. She had killed so many that she had learned that emotions were useless in this line of work. She banished them, anger, hatred, guilt, happiness, frustration. Everything. Banished. All she had left was Rage, whom she kept on a tight leash.

When she got back to the alleyway, she glanced around, making sure no one was there, and teleported back to her father's 'business'.

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10:30 pm.

It was on the news. Surprise, surprise. Wow. News travels fast when someone rich is found dead.

Raven was sitting in the lounge, drinking a warm cup of Peach Cinnamon tea, staring at the news half-heartedly as she opened her book.

".....and we're here live, in Pearl Drive, where our very own Simon Jenson, corporate founder of Jenson Oil Industries was found dead in his house earlier this evening. Authorities say they currently have no leads to any possible suspects of---"

The door to the lounge opened. A leggy blond waltzed in, her curly hair swishing behind her. "Oooh!" she clapped as she stared at the news. "Little Kairra has had yet _another_ kill" she squealed, as if her precious one year-old had just learned how to say "mama"

Juliana "The Dove" Grey rushed over to Kairra and threw her arms around the mildly amused, mildly annoyed younger girl. "Oooh! This is wonderful!" she dashed over to the side of the room, pulled out a box of star stickers, took a particularly shiny one and made quite a show of placing it on Raven's chart. Every operative had a chart. A list of how many successful assignments they'd had. One for every person they had killed.

She now had 88 stars.

She looked away from Dove. She felt disgusted with herself that she felt the stirrings of pride at the older girl's praise.

The Door burst open yet again. To reveal a handsome black haired man. His pale ice blue eyes, tinged with gray-violet at the edges danced.

Jin "The Falcon" Takaharuka grinned widely at Raven. "Way to go Rave Master" he jerked his thumb to the news and broke into a wide grin that grudgingly had Raven smiling back.

Her father liked coming up with Bird Nicknames for all of his Operatives. All of them. He also took sadistic pleasure in posting up "accomplishment charts" up in the lounge room so that his operatives would feel compelled to compete for top spot as assassin.

Oddly enough. Trigon also liked Naming the targets his operatives were to annihilate as well. Only the really ,really difficult ones were named of course. Others were just a waste of time.

Raven was in Second place as far as how many stars she had. Right next to Dove, who had murdered over 130 people. As far as quantity goes, everyone knew that Dove would win. But for Quality, Raven took the cake.

Dove was sloppy, sometimes letting witnesses who could still talk about what they saw, go free to tell about what they saw. They had lost count about how many times they had to be cleaning up after Julie for her carelessness.

"So Kairra." Jin smiled, that big gorgeous smile. "Trigon's been gloating about you, you know."

"I don't care" The dark half-demon muttered.

"Something akin to the tune of. 'My daughter is the bringer of pain, death and agony, it feeds my soul, I feel power....blah, blah, blah, and some other stuff, and then he started yelling at Sparrow." he said. "So" He continued. "Kairra 'The Raven' Ferale, what does it feel like to have completed--"

"Really? Yelling at Sparrow? What was he saying?" Dove interrupted with almost painful eagerness, always wanting a bit of Gossip to dangle over her best friend, and Rival, Chelsea, "The Parrot" Summers.

"Oh that" Falcon waved it off dismissively. "He was yelling about the fact that he failed his assignment. Taking out that new CEO of Wayne Industries, what's his face, Richter Grenson....or something like that." He shrugged.

"_Richard Wayne Greyson!" _ Dove rolled her eyes "_Honestly_, you should read the magazines more"

"Sorry, _Cosmo Girl_ and _Teen People_ aren't exactly good reading sources" Falcon remarked dryly.

"He's the most eligible bachelor, you know" Julie said, nodding sagely, arms crossed.

"He's like what? Seven?" Jin snapped. Raven held back a smile.

"He's _twenty!"_ Dove snapped back. "Very young."

"Right. Like I said. Seven"

"_Oooh! _Why you little--!"

"Settle down, children" Kairra, ironically the youngest of the three (Tender age of 19) smiled idly.

"_Anyway," _Falcon continued. "Trigon's upset because Sparrow failed in killing Mr. Eligible Bachelor, according to Sparrow, They guy knew some pretty good kung-fu moves. Personally, I think it was the head of the Security. I think It's Victor Stone? He has a Nickname. Android or something. Something mechanical."

"_Cyborg! It's Cyborg!!" _Shrieked Dove. Lunging for Falcon with the nearest object in hand, namely a chair. She took a leap, Chair poised over her head like a bat and......stopped in mid air. Surrounded by dark matter.

"Would you two stop your childish Bickering?" Raven snapped somewhat irritably, as irritably as an emotionless person could get.

Younger as she may have been, she was easily the strongest out of the three of them. Julie was only able to blend with her surroundings, like a chameleon, for a certain amount of time.

Jin, had the ability to wield fire. But only with the help of the firestone around his neck.

Kairra was a demon. Half, but she still was born with demon blood. Meaning all the powers and abilities she had were born with her. Her abilities would only grow stronger, more versatile, and more diverse with time.

Humans refused to acknowledge the existence of something that is a threat to their nature, and with that, stay in their little bubble of ignorance. So many of the Gifted, people with abilities like her, weren't well known about. So under the guise of being a normal girl, she didn't use her powers unless it was for work.

Or in this case, breaking up childish fights between Assassins that were distantly related to each other.

"Let me at 'em Rae! I'll, I'll--!"

"You'll what? play hide and seek and go all chameleon on me?" Falcon taunted.

"Why I outta--"

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"Kairra. I need to speak with you. **Now"** Trigon's voice boomed in their minds.

Raven Grumbled and dropped Dove to the floor with a painful thud. "Sorry" She muttered as she walked out of the lounge.

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11:15 pm.

Raven sat in a lavish office that belonged to her father and stared him. Every fiber of her being was screaming to let Rage out and rip out her father's heart, (assuming that he had one) and burn it. Slamming down the emotion, she watched him, her gaze occasionally flickering to the man standing in the shadows.

"I don't like disappointments, Trigon." The man in the shadows remarked, almost mildly.

"Hmph" Her father said, not at all threatened.

"I asked you to kill Richard Greyson, and you failed."

"You're the one who wanted Sparrow to do it." Her father said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I would have told you before that that boy isn't skilled enough to get under Greyson's skin"

"Indeed"

Raven resisted the urge to yawn, she had played this game well enough to know that they were coating threats and warnings under their seemingly congenial chat. If they weren't going to tell her what she was here for, she could always leave, she had better things to do with her time then watch two people smile at each other and plot the other's death behind friendly conversation.

"Tell me why I'm here." She interrupted, her voice bored.

They both glared at her. She arched an eyebrow. She could play this game better then anyone.

"Watch your manners Girl" The man in the shadows warned.

"I would, but they're boring" Raven replied in the same, "fuck all" tone in her voice.

Trigon Cut in. "This is Raven," he said, motioning to her.

"Raven, this is--"

"A waste of my time. Cut the introductions, if you aren't going to tell me why I'm here, then I might as well finish my book" Kairra said mildly.

Her father's eyes blazed in anger. "Watch your mouth, girl, or I'll have to punish you into watching it."

"Ah." Raven said, un-impressed. "Does that mean you won't be needing my services any longer?" She made a motion to get up. Trigon waved her back down.

"We want you to kill Richard Wayne Greyson. Bruce Wayne's adopted son and only heir" The man in shadow said.

"So I gathered." Raven replied dryly.

"So I'm going to kill Greyson. Okay fine" She Got up and made her way to the door.

"Raven." Her father stopped her. "Say thank you."

Raven's lip curled in distaste. Without Turning around she said "Thank you, Mister....?"

The man stepped out of the darkness. "Slade"

"So we are partners in shooting down Mr Richard Greyson" Slade chuckled.

Trigon Chuckled as well. Whispering in the darkness to the man they wanted to kill, knowing full well he wouldn't hear it.

"Yes." Trigon said. He smiled, sharp teeth curved in a threatening smile.

"Fly away little Robin. Fly away, before we Break your wings"

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TBC. Whew wipes brow Done Prologue! Chapter one should be coming up soon!


	2. Welcome to the Real World

Hello!, Second chapter here. Ummm. I just want you all to know that this is a story about the Teen Titans, The Original Characters I've made will appear once in a while, and such, but they won't really be a essential part of the story. Okay! Here we go. Chapter one!

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Disclaimer: I don't own the teen titans. Don't sue me. I'm broke.

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Birds of a Feather

Chapter one: Welcome to the Real world.

Saturday. 12:00 pm.

Crescent Bvd.

Raven stood glumly at her new apartment building frowning to herself as she entered the cozy living room. She hadn't thought that this assignment would be so.....intricate.

Of course, knowing daddy dearest and his twisted mind, she wondered how she hadn't thought that he would pull something like this. Apparently, with the failure of Sparrow to kill Richard Greyson "Robin" as both Her father and Slade had called him, they wanted her to be able to get closer to the young CEO without threat of interference with Security. Or in other words, Cyborg.

Of course, after a little digging, she had found out that Falcon was wrong about him being the head of security for Wayne Industries. They would be lucky if he were though. He was a Police officer. A damn good one if what the reports she read about him were true. According to his history, all the males in his family were in the police business, and all of them were excelled at what they did

Victor Stone, A.k.a. Cyborg, was just following the footsteps of his father. He had already taken down three operatives of her father's business, on three particular raids in just two short years, more then any other cop had done in over three generations. He was the dedicated machine that never let go of his target once it had been found. And he had sworn revenge on her father for the murder of his parents and considered him responsible of his accident. An accident that had caused him to become part machine in order for him to survive.

Hence the name Cyborg. Raven had read police files on him. His report was extensive and the word "ruthless" and "cold-blooded" were sprinkled liberally on his report, every target he aimed to catch, he did, every plan he came up with to catch his targets was executed flawlessly. He was indeed a top notch cop. She had also checked his history prior to his accident and found out that he had graduated top of his class in high school, second only to his best friend, Richard Greyson. Apparently they were close friends, even throughout high school, and things hadn't changed, it appeared. It seemed that they had planned to go to Police academy together, but Richard became the heir to Wayne Industries and couldn't fulfill his dream. Still, they saw each other almost daily. And since the attempt on Mr. Greyson's life, Cyborg had appointed himself personal bodyguard to him.

Great. This made her job much harder.

Her father's orders were to get a job at Wayne Inc. and get close to Robin enough to kill him. It would have been so much easier to have made his head explode in his sleep. But noooo. Mr. _Slade_ had wanted things done a certain way. And for better or worse, and according to her father, she had no say in how she killed her victims.

This was probably just another underlying ploy to siphon whatever humanity she had left. Her father had never cared much for the human race. And thus, tried to force that way of thinking to her (among other sadistic things). So here she was. Disguised as an everyday civilian. Of course, she thought she might stick out. Her skin was probably just a little too pale, too ashen ( partly attributing to the fact that she rarely came out in sunlight). She sighed. Putting the last box of her belongings in places she deem appropriate.

'Some semblance of a normal human life.' Raven thought. Her apartment would be considered cozy. Decorated in dark blues, blacks and golds. It turned out to have more of a seductive allure then she had first anticipated. The fireplace was warm and inviting, and she had a wonderful view of the city across the room. Yep. Defiantly more seductive then she had anticipated. Perhaps she should consider redecorating.....

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Saturday 2:00 pm.

Wayne Inc.

Richard Greyson stood staring out the window of his expansive office. Stupid people out there. Enjoying their weekend, taking for granted the fact that they could relax. He never considered himself a envious person, but staring out there, in such nice weather, and being stuck in here, doing _paperwork_ of all things.....

He would have killed to be out there with them, wasting away their lives on nothing really important. Instead of doing _paperwork_. He turned around, and stared at the pile of seemingly harmless stack of paper as though it were something getting ready to spring out at him and attack his face. Stupid paper.

It was _taunting_ him. His bright Silver blue eyes narrowed.

"Waging war with your paperwork, Rich?" A wry, amused voice commented from the doorway. Richard looked up to see a large broad shouldered black man lean against the door, half the man's face and his the rest of his body covered in steel and interlacing blue circuitry.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asked, half embarrassed, an d half annoyed. Embarrassed about being caught in a situation like this, and annoyed for not hearing the large man come in.

"Long enough to see that being trapped indoors is going to drive you insane if you don't get out" his best friend answered, grinning.

"What I wouldn't give to be out there with you, cracking the heads of all the bad guys." Richard sighed. "Instead I'm here doing _paperwork" _He spat out the word.

"You were nearly killed not to long ago, buddy, can't have you goin' all gung-ho on us before we know everything's safe again" Cyborg said.

The young CEO slammed his hands down on the table. "_Dammnit!_ I'm not a little kid everyone's got to protect. I can take care of myself!" Frustration at being locked up like this exploded. He hated being obligated to do something when he wanted with all his heart, mind and soul to be doing something else.

Cyborg sighed. "I know man, I know. But you gotta understand that The Flock is after you. These are the same guys who took out the last CEO of the last Oil company. These....are the guys who killed my family, Rich. They're the ones responsible for doing this to me" He motioned to his robotic parts. "I just don't wanna hate myself for doing nothing when I know I could have done something."

Rich bowed his head apologetically. "Sorry Cy. Just, I hate being here."

"Why? You got air conditioning, pretty secretary ladies that tend to your every need....." Cy trailed off, wagging his eyebrows at his long time friend.

Richard Chuckled. "Actually, I don't have a secretary anymore, she quit"

"Another one quit? Why?"

"She said I 'worked her to hard. So now I'll need a new personal secretary. _Again."_ He puffed out a frustrated breath.

"Keep droppin like flies, eh?"

"You have no Idea"

"When do you start re-hiring?"

"Now."

As if on que, the door opened to admit a rather large red-headed woman, holding out her large arm to Cyborg, having been briefed before the interview that she wasn't allowed to go near Mr. Greyson for safety reasons. She held out her resume, which Cyborg handed to Rich and sat down.

Cyborg grinned. Looking at the slight Grimace on his best friend's face before it smoothed out into a polite smile.

Cyborg casually tossed the resume to Rich, lowering his voice so only his friend could hear. Cy bit back a chuckle and said.

"And so it begins"

He turned his laugh into a cough when his friend turned to him. Oh, if looks could kill....

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4:30 pm

Raven was only a block away from Wayne Incorporated. On the buildings, bustling with regular city life, were advertisements for peoples products. She looked up, and say a large billboard of a very beautiful red-head with sparkling green eyes. It was the new supermodel that had just burst onto the modeling scene.

"Starfire." Raven mused nonchalantly, as she read the girl's nick name, or real name, she couldn't tell anymore. Everyone nowadays was so enamored with nicknames. It made her wonder if anyone new anyone else by their real names anymore. As it was, she was supposed to meet up with the third partner her father and Slade had. His name was Blood....or something. Was that his real name, or was that just a cover up?

She shook her head as she looked around her, a slight frown marring her features. This was the place right?

"An alleyway? How original." Raven remarked, almost inaudibly.

"I certainly think so." A voice sounded behind her. She turned around to find an elegantly dressed man standing at the end of the alley way, looking very out of place in his expensive Armani suit. His angular features looking amused. "Well, well, well.....so you're Trigon's daughter. Very pretty little thing, aren't you?"

Raven's eyes narrowed, unconsciously widening her stance into something more casually defensive. "And you are?"

He stepped forward, offering her a card. "Call me Blood. Brother Blood." she took the card.

"Domiscus Blood. Corporate Executive of Hive Industries" Raven read, and chuckled dryly. "Fronting as a well respected business man, and hiding your true colors, you've been playing this game well if no one's found you out yet."

Blood shrugged. "It's so hard to be open about running cutthroat businesses these days. People are just too disapproving. And yes. I have been playing this game a very long time, and have gotten good enough to avoid any suspicious eyes. The only problem is that I'm running out of pawns."

"I suppose that you always conduct business in alleyways?"

He sighed. "I suppose you're right. Come. We will speak about these matters at on our way to Wayne Inc.."

They walked out of the alley to see a limo parked on the curve of the street. A woman in a sharp black suit with a peculiar hair design stepped out of the car.

"Brother Blood, would you like me to cancel your meetings?" she asked.

"Yes, Jinx, and call Trigon and Slade. Tell them I've made contacted with Raven"

She bobbed a slight curtsy, casting a curious glance at Raven before scuttling towards the limo, holding open the door for them and waited for them to enter before scuttling into the limo. They didn't have to go very far to get to Wayne inc.

"What exactly am I doing? Aside from another murder" Raven asked.

"You're a present to Mr. Greyson of course." Blood answered loftily.

"A _present?"_

"My well wishes and congratulations for him becoming a CEO, or course. To show him that Rival corporations can get along."

"Ah. Of course." Raven said, a pinch of sarcasm in her tone. "I suppose it would be an incredible tragedy then, when they find Mr. Greyson dead?"

"Yes. Quite a tragedy. Of course, Hive Corporations will mourn his death, and somehow find the will to go on, honoring Greyson's memory by taking over his company."

"I don't know how you find the strength." Raven deadpanned. "But won't you think that the authorities will connect you to his murder? You _are_ after all, the one who gave him the secretary that caused his death."

"Simple. I will say I have had absolutely no idea that you had such cruel intentions. To the public I will be an outraged, apologetic, sincerely miserable person."

"Ah, and what will happen to the treasonous secretary who killed him?"

"Why, she'll vanish of course."

Raven sighed. Well it seemed that Brother Blood had all this planned out. She did appreciate that he had a plan, but getting close to people wasn't really her area of expertise. Especially with the security Richard seemed to have.

"What makes you think that I can get close to him? I mean he has top notch security." She remarked, somewhat lamely, she knew she could get around any security measure, she just figured it was worth mentioning.

Blood chuckled. "My dear girl, we both know that you're the best at what you do. Besides, don't worry about the Cyborg." He grinned when he saw surprise slit across her face before vanishing. "Your father had no interest in his family, however, I did. He just conveniently placed the death of his parents an your father's door."

More and more twisted. She was starting to get the idea that this wasn't really just about Richard Greyson anymore.

"Ah, we're here." Brother Blood got out of the car and walked towards the large Building, nodding to people as the bowed slightly in respect to him.

Raven trailed after him, instinctively taking in her surroundings in a practiced gesture in case she needed to make a fast escape.

As they entered the building and made their way to the CEO's office, Raven glanced around in slight discomfort as she felt eyes on her, following her as she made her way through the pristine clean hallways.

"Ah, here we are." Blood said. "Now put on your pretty face. Smile and nod"

They entered the Office just as a pretty brunette walked out, huffed in indigence. Raven watched her as she marched off. She couldn't help but think that if the woman had her chin any higher, she would have fallen backwards. She gave a slight nod of her head, and stopped demurely after Brother Blood.

"Domiscus Blood." Robin said standing up from his desk, looking haggard. Raven smirked slightly to herself. Well, since everyone was calling him the Robin. She didn't know why she should call him anything else. Besides, not calling people by their given names made it easier to sever ties with them. "Richard Greyson. How are you?"

Robin sent a fleeting glance to his now stone faced friend. "As well as can be expected. If you count the attempted murder." He chuckled slightly. "But I'm not dead."

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'Yet' Raven thought almost subconsciously. She looked up to see the eyes of Cyborg trained on her, looking slightly surprised.

"Who is this?" Robin asked, motioning to Raven after having said his pleasantries to Blood. Raven opened her mouth to answer.

"Rowena Roth. At your service sir." she bobbed a slight curtsy, to the amusement of both young gentlemen and the approval of Blood.

She almost scrunched her face at having almost said her father's given name for her. Honestly she didn't know why she hadn't used that name he had given her. Kairra Ferale. It wasn't as if she disliked the name her father gave her. It was just.....her _father_ had given it to her. That name was associated with too much blood and violence.

Rowena. That was the name her mother had given her. That was before she had conveniently "disappeared" after she had publicly opposed his business. Rowena Roth. She didn't like using that name. It was too pure to be associated with such vile things. But.....she didn't want it exposed to anyone else. It....it belonged to her, the one thing about her that remained untainted. The only gift from her mother that hadn't been brutally wretched away by her father.

She wanted to turn back time and make sure that Kairra was the only name that had left her lips. Just so she could have kept her name, the name that her _mother_ had given her to herself. Something to remind herself that she wasn't as evil as everyone said she was.

But now it was out in the open, it too, would be exposed to the bloodshed. She mourned the loss of the name's innocence; she knew that one she had carried out her job, Rowena Roth would be the name news reporters would say was responsible for Gresyon's murder.

Damnit. Why hadn't she said Kairra Ferale instead?

"Why did you bring her here Blood?" Robin was asking.

"For you of course. She's one of the best employees I have. I thought I might let you hire her, as a congratulatory gift, you could say" Blood answered back.

Cyborg was staring at her with slight suspicion. No doubt running a metal check to see if she had anything that would harm Robin.

Raven was glad she decided to leave her favorite knife at her new apartment. (Even though she had trouble looking for it under all the books she had). It would have been very hard for her to explain why she had a knife with her as she normally did, had she normally had it with her.

"Erm...." Robin said. Trading uncertain looks with his have machine friend.

Raven knew he couldn't turn Blood down without offending him. Blood had cornered him into hiring her. _Clever._

Very clever. Raven though, slightly impressed. Blood was right. He _was_ good at this game.

Robin cleared his throat and straightened "Very well. Welcome To Wayne Industries."

She bobbed another little curtsy and smiled slightly at them, hopefully in a 'thank-you-very-much-you-won't-regret-it" kind of way.

"Well!" Blood said, clapping his hands in a satisfactory kind of way, he said his goodbyes to the CEO and said. "Now that I have wished you my congratulations, I have meetings to attend to! I'll take my leave"

To Raven he smiled. "I leave things to you. Ms. Roth. Do your family proud."

Raven's smile was edged. _Yes. You'd like that wouldn't you?_

With that he swooshed out of the office like a king, Jinx, standing outside the door, scurried after him.

"Well...." Robin said, almost awkwardly. "I guess you should get to work then" He looked down at his desk, contemplated, then snatched a Manila colored folder from the pile. He handed it to her. "Please make 4 copies of these files. Send one copy to me, one to the 36 floor, one to the 13 floor and one to the 2nd floor." When she tepped forward to accept it he smiled at her, his silver blue eyes sparkling.

"Welcome to the Real World, Miss Rowena Roth." He said, his smile making her heart flutter curiously.

__

The Real world? Raven wanted to say. _You have no idea what the real world is._

Instead she smiled enigmatically. "Thank you Mr. Greyson. For giving me this opportunity"

Too bad he didn't know how much of an opportunity he'd just given her.


	3. The Beauty and The Beast Part I

hello again people. I'm glad that at least some people reviewed. Forgive me if the some things are different from the cartoon.

Blood and Slade, and Trigon have made their introductions, and I think it's only fair that the rest of the titans make an appearance.

okay. Here it is. Chapter two.

-

****

Birds Of a Feather

Chapter Two: The Beauty and The Beast

Part I

Tuesday. 6:30 am

Cyborg walked down the quiet halls of Wayne Inc. A few employees were already there, but not enough for a full building. He walked over to the security systems, and plugged himself in. Being half machine had equal amounts of pros as well as cons. For one, he could personally upload some of his data into the security system, so everything the surveillance cameras see would be projected directly into his mechanical eye. Thus literally enable to see everything going on in the building and outside as well. He supposed it was the least he could do to protect his best friend.

Richard Greyson had been the only person in high school he ever considered a friend. He was also the only friend that stuck around even after his accident, found that Rich was the only person willing to get him through it, help him live again help him see that by being half machine, he could help people avoid his fate. He found that Rich was more a brother to him then anyone else. And brothers had to protect each other, and he'd do whatever it took to protect the one person left in this world that he considered family. Anything. Just because he wasn't willing to let himself fail in protecting anyone else. He'd failed with protecting his mom and dad, he wouldn't fail in protecting someone close enough to be considered a brother. He promised himself that.

He turned, activating his new security measures, as his thoughts returned to Rich's new Secretary. Or personal assistant. She certainly was eye candy, that was for sure. But there was this touch-me-not air around her that she seemed to exude in waves. He hair was so black, it was projecting off as dark midnight blue.

He honestly had never met anyone like her before. Not that she wasn't friendly. She was. He preferred her company to those babbling other secretaries who never seemed to have rein over their mouths.

He had been distrustful of her, still was, kind of. After all, she was connected to Blood, and despite what other people had said, he didn't trust him. He had to admit, he had respect for her. She didn't eye Richard like a piece of meat like so many of the other women in the office did.

He was walking down the hall, so entranced by his own musings that he didn't see himself colliding with the person he was thinking about. He blinked, quite a few times to see Rich's new secretary sprawled on the floor.

"Ow." She muttered softly.

"Miss Roth?" Cyborg frowned slightly. "Office workers don't need to come in so early today, dunno why, business thing, I guess."

"Oh, yeah, I just wanted to get those files done so I didn't have to worry about them later." The pale skinned woman said, brushing herself off as she got up.

"Is Mr. Greyson here?"

Cyborg suppressed a grin. Yep. Rich was here alright. Waging another silent staring contest with his paperwork, no doubt. He knew how much Rich hated his paperwork. He vaguely wondered if anyone else had noticed how much he hated it. He shook his head.

"C'mon, I'll show you where your humble boss sits in the morning."

-

Tuesday. 6:45 am

As they walked down the seemingly endless hallways of Wayne Inc, Raven wondered at the best way to make sure that they wouldn't butcher her mother's good name when the CEO was dead.

"So, how's Rich been treatin' ya?" Cyborg asked causally.

"Oh, he's treated me very well, I mean, this is the first real job I've had in a while." Which was true. Raven told herself. Being an assassin wasn't really a _job_ kind of job.

"First job you had? I thought you worked for Blood?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't consider that much of a job, I was the errand girl. Pretty boring really"

Cyborg grinned in understanding. "Yeah, I get what you mean, finding a real job that challenges you and has you enjoying it can be a real bitch sometimes." He frowned thoughtfully, then said.

"Rich hates his job."

Raven blinked. "He does?"

"Didn't get it by choice, you know."

"Oh. Do you think he's well suited for it? Being CEO I mean. Isn't he supposed to be really young?"

"Oh, he's well suited for it alright. Child prodigy, our Richard Greyson. Bit of a hothead though"

"I was wondering, if Robin-" Raven stopped, silently cursing herself for using Richard's codename in public. Darn it. What was wrong with her lately? She must be under a lot of stress.

"Robin?" Cyborg asked, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Against her better judgment, and much to her chagrin, Raven felt herself fidget. "Erm."

"Robin?" Cyborg probed gently. "You mean Rich?"

"Yeah. That's kinda how I think of him. The Elusive Robin. It's hard to find Robin's in this place of the world. If you hadn't noticed, he doesn't seem to like coming out of his office. I mean no disrespect to Mr. Greyson, but from the moment I've started working for him, the only times I've been in his office, he was glaring at his paperwork" Raven said, trying to deter him from asking too many questions.

Cyborg exploded into hysterical guffaws. "Glaring...paperwork!" He gasped, then exploded into more hysterical laughter as if she had said something very funny.

Raven was beginning to feel a bit nervous. What had she said?

"Are you alright?"

Cyborg was still struggling to keep his chuckles from exploding into full blown laughter. "No, no, I mean yeah, yeah, I'm fine" He grinned.

"I completely agree with you on the whole Robin thingy though. That's what I'll call him now." He shook his head, still grinning very widely. "I didn't think anyone else noticed how much Rich-" He chuckled. "I mean Robin, hated his paperwork"

They rounded the corner and saw the door to said person's office.

"How could you not?" Raven asked wryly. "He looks like he's waging World War III with the paperwork"

This, had the meta-human exploding into unrestrained laughter again. They headed closer to his office, had to make several stops so that Cyborg could get some semblance of control again.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the peaked through the already opened office doors to get a glimpse of Robin.

The looked inside only to see Robin, sitting behind his desk his elbows resting on his armrest, fingertips touching together, glaring. With a capital 'G' at the stack of paperwork set before him. Apparently wishing it to spontaneously combust.

This set off Cyborg again. Laughing so hard, the large half machine man nearly fell backwards on his back. The only think stopping him was Raven, who had hurriedly ran behind him to brace his back so he wouldn't damage himself. Though Raven seriously doubted that falling over would damage him, still, it was the polite thing to do.

She sighed inaudibly, unable to hold back a tiny smile. She shook her head, it was almost a shame to have to be the one to burst their ignorant bubble of happiness when she killed Robin...

-

Tuesday. 7:00 am

Robin glanced up distracted from his diligent wishing of his paperwork to die horrible unmentionable deaths(were it a person, it would have been astounded by the level of hate the young CEO exuded for it), by a booming laugh.

He frowned at his friend, who was hysterically laughing leaning back almost so far he was afraid that his half machine friend would fall over. He saw a pair of shapely legs from behind His friend. His frowned deepened. He hoped Cyborg wasn't trying to set him up again.

"Something funny Cy?" Robin asked.

Cyborg looked at him, frantically waving his hands, still laughing.

The woman stepped out from behind him, after she was positive that he was in no danger of him toppling over in a graceless pile on the floor. His secretary.

"I think he's having a seizure." she said, straight faced. "Should we be worried?"

"Nah" Robin said, chuckling a little. "what set him off?"

"You and your paperwork"

Explosive laughter ensued. Namely from the large half machine black man currently on his back, on the floor.

They waited for the laughter to subside. Which, admittedly, took longer then it should have. Cyborg was still chuckling sporadically but he was able to control himself.

"Thanks, Miss Roth." He said. "I needed that."

She smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it. Although what it is I did that you're thanking me for, I have no idea."

"For making me laugh."

Raven frowned slightly. "But you did that all yourself. I didn't say anything remotely funny."

Cyborg shook his head, still chuckling a bit. He turned to see his friend looking mystified at Miss Roth. He knew the feeling. That was the most he probably had heard her say in the two weeks she had been working here.

"What's the plan today, Rob?" the meta-human asked cheerfully.

Robin frowned. "Rob? Sorry Cy, But I'm Rich, remember?"

Cyborg huffed indignantly "Sheesh, well aren't you modest."

Robin rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. What's with the whole 'Rob' Thing?"

He saw Miss Roth and Cyborg exchange amused glances.

"I-" Cyborg started. Raven cleared her throat pointedly.

"Or rather, _we_, have decided to re-name you Robin."

Robin blinked. "What?"

"Exactly. Now, what's on the plan today?"

Still looking slightly confused, Robin told them. "We have to meet with the 'Spotlight' Modeling agency. They want to see if we can give some sort of modeling contract to one of their top models...Of course I think they didn't understand it when I said that we weren't a modeling agency."

"Modeling contract? Booya! When do we leave?"

"Later this afternoon. I think it's at 1:00, or was it 2:00? darn it, I can't seem to find my schedule..."

"Mr. Greyson?" Raven asked.

Robin inwardly cringed at being called 'Mr. Greyson' it made him feel old, especially being called that by someone who was approximately his age. "Er. Yes?"

"Appointment with 'Spotlight' Modeling agency is at 1:15 pm today, sir."

He tried to stifle the wince at the "sir" but didn't seem to accomplish it all the way, fortunately only Cyborg saw him.

"Er. That's great. Thank you." He exchanged a sheepish grin with his best friend. "So, what are you two up to?"

"_I'm_ checking security." Cyborg said, pointing to himself. "_She" _he made a sweeping motion towards Raven "is still learning the ropes, and getting to know where everything is."

__

"You" Cyborg pointed to his best friend "are _supposed_ to be doing paperwork"

Robin growled. "I hate you."

The mechanical man walked over and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "There there, Boy Wonder, that's just how the cookie crumbles for some people. My cookie just happens more appetizing then yours is."

"I repeat, just in case you didn't hear me the first time. I hate you."

Raven watched the exchange between the two of them and shook her head, they really were close, it would make it much harder for her if Cyborg was with him for the majority of the time. But she couldn't help being curious about something Cyborg had said.

"Boy Wonder?" She interrupted their heated argument about the pros and cons of paperwork.

Cyborg looked up at her and offered her a dazzling smile. "I call him Boy wonder, cause the magazines kinda like calling him that, plus he seems to be able to do anything if he puts his mind to it."

"Apparently paperwork is the exception." she remarked.

Robin's eyes narrowed, even as his mouth twitched slightly. "I could fire you, Miss Roth, that's insubordination."

"I highly doubt you would fire me, Mr. Greyson" She answered loftily.

"And why do you doubt?"

"I've heard that you've already needed three new secretaries prior to my arrival here, and from what the other secretaries tell me, you're a very harsh worker."

Robin quirked an eyebrow. "And?"

"_And_ how long do you think it will take you to hire a secretary able to keep up with the inhuman pace you demand of them?"

Robin grinned widely, tilting his head slightly to acknowledge defeat. "Touché, Miss Roth."

Cyborg chuckled from the sidelines. "You're certainly something special, Miss Roth."

Raven watched him with amused violet eyes, not sure whether to take that as a compliment. "Special? As in 'Stop eating the paste' special?"

Both men laughed. Robin shook his head. "You and I will get along very well, Miss Roth. Very well indeed."

-

Tuesday 1:45 pm.

There they were, sitting in the limo, heading to 'Spotlight agency', Raven was staring out the window(Being Robin's personal secretary required she tag along), Cyborg was playing with a Rubix cube, looking ready to tear it apart at any given moment, and Robin was watching Raven.

He studied her. There was something about her that set her apart from the other women who had come to work for him. She wasn't as talkative, friendly, yes, but in a quiet way. At the moment she looked deep in thought about something and he found himself wondering what it was. She shifted slightly, her shapely legs moved to a more comfortable position, her skirt going a little higher. Nothing horribly bad, since the skirt stopped a little above her knees, but it rode up none the less. He couldn't help but notice how much more conservative she dressed compared to his passed personal assistants, who had all taken to wearing almost dangerously low cut blouses and skirts that would have been better as wisps of cloth tied around their waists. No, he decided, she wasn't out to impress anyone with her conserved appearance, in fact, she seemed to have picked that suit to blend in with her surroundings. He noted, as a bit of an after thought, that she had, sometime between this morning and now, put on a pair of non-rimmed glasses making her violet eyes look larger, and letting that sparkle of intelligence that he saw in them become more pronounced.

He sighed inaudibly, thoughts turning to more depressing matters. The modeling agency...thing... that he was supposed to do. He glanced over at his best friend, who had now ripped apart the defenseless rubix cube, and was now staring at the pieces with a smug look. Robin opened his mouth to point out how incredibly childish that was for him to have done that, when the car suddenly screeched to the side, swerving to avoid something, causing all the occupants of the limo to go lurching to one side of the car. Robin was sent crashing into his secretary, who looked more then a little surprised at having her employer's head in her lap.

She looked at him, to ask if he was alright, when there was an earsplitting shriek, much like that of the car crashing and having the hood ripped off the front of the limo. Cyborg was on instant alert, turning one of his mechanical arms into his sonic laser cannon. Raven looked out the window and frowned. She blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Uh..." Robin spoke up. "Is it just me, or are you seeing a huge green T-Rex right outside the window?"

"You're not the only one, buddy. Now why don't we go outside and tell that nice T-Rex that there's a leash law in this part of town?" Cyborg asked, tilting his head, and looking for all like it was just some naughty puppy outside going to the bathroom where it shouldn't have been, instead of a thirty foot T-Rex with six inch teeth, tearing off the roofs of unsuspecting cars.

Cyborg got out of the car, and calmly cocked his mechanical arm (the one that had conveniently turned into a cannon) at the large dinosaur. "C'mon, Roover, put the car down."

It snarled, hurling the large hummer in it's mouth at them.

"Look out!" Robin cried, flinging himself at Raven knocking her down, just as the car plowed into limo demolishing the roof, right where Raven had been standing. "Damnit, that was a rental!" Robin yelled angrily, staring at the smashed limo.

Then the green T-Rex did something very odd. It turned around, morphed into a green cheetah, and ran.

"Hey! Get back here" Cyborg hollered, tearing right after it.

"Cyborg!" Robin said, shoving himself off of Raven and taking off after his half mechanical friend.

Raven sighed, got up and brushed herself off. So, Cyborg had a laser cannon. That could prove to set her back a bit if he decided to use it against her. And Robin had good reflexes. Raven frowned distastefully, pulling off her useless wireless glasses and staring straight ahead. What was that thing? Why was it green?

She sighed again. Only one way to find out. Muttering a summoning spell, she thought of a green animal with the ability to turn into other animals, a shape shifter. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Instantly a black matter flashed and a very bewildered looking cheetah was sprawled on the ground in front of her. When it caught sight of her it immediately transformed into a menacing looking wolf, snarling at her.

Raven, however, was not impressed so easily. "A wolf, huh?" She focused her powers on the creature, black energy flooded her eyes, she tilted her head. "You look more like a rat to me"

The shape shifter gave a startled yelp as it was immediately turned into a rat. The shape-shifter shifted forms again, this time into the form of a boy, green hair, large, bright green eyes, almost too thin body.

He sat there, staring at her in amazement, one hand rubbing the back of his head, his mouth open. "Dude, you changed me! How did you _do_ that?"

She ignored his question. "Why were you rampaging around the city?"

"Hmph, look, lady, I dunno who you are, but I'm not answering any questions from you-whoa-hey-hey!" The green eyed animal boy suddenly found himself floating in the air. "Unnnngh! Gyaaaah! Grrr!" Fruitlessly he changed into numerous different animals, trying to get away. Even going so far as to change back into his human form and trying to dog-paddle away.

"Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!" He cried. "Just put me down!"

He yelped in pain as he was dropped very unceremoniously back to the ground. "Owwwww...my booty...my precious booty..."

Raven tapped her foot on the ground. "I'm waiting."

He muttered something under his breath and sighed. "I was just trying to go after the guys who took my money. Stupid people. I stole it first."

Raven shook her head. "So you're nothing but a petty thief."

"No." He huffed, looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "I guess. Only way I can survive out here."

"How old are you?"

"Me?" he asked pointing to himself.

"No, the other green shape shifter behind you." Raven muttered.

He sighed. "Eighteen"

Raven hid her surprise. "You don't _look_ eighteen."

He shrugged. "No one really pays attention to you when you're a homeless nobody, turned thief."

"What happened to your family?"

"Dead. The Flock killed them"

Raven winced. Did everyone she came across have previous ties to her father and The flock?

"What's your name?"

He brought himself up and huffed proudly. "I'm Logan. Garfield Logan. A.k.a. the sexy, the beautiful, the unstoppable, Beast Boy!" he looked at her, arms struck out in a pose, as if he were flexing. Seeing she wasn't impressed, he deflated. "uh, yeah, Garfield Logan, that's me, heh heh"

Raven thought back. Logan, Logan...Ah, she remembered now. The Canary was the one who killed his family. She wished she didn't know who was responsible for it, then it would be easier.

"Er." Beast Boy began nervously. "Who are you?"

"Raven" She answered automatically, still thinking about events on that night.

"Nice to meet you, Raven."

Her head snapped up. Shit. He knew her codename. Damn and Double damn.

"Listen Beast Boy." She said. "My name is Raven. But you aren't allowed to call me that in public, got it? To you, I'm Rowena Roth. No one is to know about what I can do. Got it?" She said in an ominously dangerous voice

"Yeah, I got it." He gulped.

"Miss Roth!" Cyborg called out to her as they came racing back towards her. He skidded to a halt right beside her, Robin coming close behind him.

"We couldn't find him, this black thing just kinda formed under his feet and he was gone." Cyborg said.

"Actually, he's right here." Beast Boy said cheerfully.

"You're the guy that can change into animals?" Cyborg asked suspiciously.

"Yep."

"I see." Cyborg took a deep breath, and then "_Why the hell were you in the middle of the street throwing hummers at people?"_ he cried out loudly. Robin chimed in as well. "I have to pay the damages to the limo you just destroyed," he growled, quieter, but no less angry.

"Umm...sorry?"

"_I should arrest you!" _the tin man raged.

"He's homeless thief." Raven supplied helpfully. Just like that, their anger deflated.

"You're homeless?" Robin asked.

Beast boy shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about it, but couldn't quite hide the flicker of pain in his eyes. "It's no big deal...listen, if that limo thing really upset you, uh, I'll pay you back, I mean I dunno how I'll do it-"

"Forget it." Robin muttered, looking slightly guilty.

"Yeah, man, sorry we ripped on you, we didn't know it was like that." Cyborg said, not at all acting like a police officer (then again, he played by his own rules).

"Don't worry about it." Beast Boy waved his hand, in a 'don't-worry-it's just- a drop-in-the bucket' sort of wave. "I'm just hungry"

Apparently needing to know, Robin said, "Where's your family?"

"Dead, Flock killed 'em"

Cyborg's eyes widened. "Flock-" He exchanged a look with Robin. Then turned back to The green boy and held out his hand.

"I'm-"

"Cyborg, yeah, I know." Beast boy said, taking the black man's hand.

"How did you...?"

"Amazing what you hear in different places when you can be a fly on the wall." He winked. "They say you're the best cop in Jump City. You're not to popular with the more...er...illegal groups out there though."

Cyborg grinned. "Oh. So now I'm a celebrity now? Glad to know I'm known."

Robin offered his hand as well. "I'm Richard-"

"Robin" Cyborg interjected, grinning at Raven.

"-Greyson" Robin finished, glaring at Cyborg.

Beast Boy's eyes rounded to the size of saucers and his mouth dropped open as he shook his hand. "Richard Greyson! _The _Richard Greyson? CEO of Wayne Inc?"

"Yeah"

Beast boy stared at Robin some more, then said. "You're...you're-Do you know who you are?"

Cyborg snickered, Robin sighed. "Yes. I know who I am. And you are?"

"Beast Boy." The green boy said cheerily. "I'm hanging out with Celebrities now. Awesome."

"If you boys are done with your introductions, Mr. Greyson? We're already forty-five minutes late from the modeling agency." Raven said.

Robin winced. "Damn, you just had to remind me of that, didn't you?"

Beast boy's eyes widened more, if that was possible. "You're taking up _modeling_ now? Dude! You _are_ Boy Wonder!"

Cyborg exploded into laughter patting Beast Boy's back. "Welcome to the crew, BB, Welcome to the crew"

-

Gyaaaah! I didn't get to put Starfire in this yet! Grrrr! I didn't expect this chapter to be this log. Oh well. R R please?


	4. Beauty and the Beast part II

Hi! It's me! I just want to say thank you for all the support I've been getting from this story, it really encourages me to write more. And while I could sit here, typing about how wonderful all you reviewers out there are(Which you are) that could literally take hours, And I'm sure you'd like to read more of my brilliant story.

So without further ado, Here it is. Chapter Three

****

Birds of a Feather

Chapter Three: Beauty and the Beast Part II

Turned out, after they had gotten to the agency, that things went smoother then they should have. As it was, they were an hour and 50 minutes late due to heavy traffic and Beast Boy's short attention span. That in addition to the fact that Robin had to call in for another limo to be shown where they were.

They encountered some semi-hostile corporate leaders of the Agency, apparently they were quite offended that Mr. Greyson had come late. Their demeanor, however, warmed up considerably after the situation they had been in was explained, backed up by the fact that Beast boy transformed into an apologetic kitten, as a way of charming wives of the Head of Agencies. Which turned out to be a good thing, because within the times span of ten minutes, Beast boy had them eating out of the palm of his hand. Er. Claw.

"Oh, you poor thing!" One of the wives cooed. "Homeless? You can't be. Not with a handsome lad like you."

"Really! A boy with such a sweet face should be out in school or some such" Simpered another.

Raven held back a smile. These people really didn't suspect that Beast Boy was older then he acted, then again, she had to hand it to him, he did know how to charm the old ladies into giving Robin a break, whom, she noticed was sending grateful glances to the changeling. She looked around, the agency, as she expected was littered with lovely models, each looked like their legs took up more then half their bodies. Some having no breasts, and others having way to much. It made her wonder what it was about these humans that they should rely so strongly on material possessions to achieve some semblance of perfection.

Since Robin was currently flooded with the wives of all nine big shots of the Agency, she felt it safe to go have a look around. Cyborg, as expected, stayed near his best friend, and the newly acquired Beast Boy was soaking up the attention given to him by those old ladies like a sponge. She walked down the hallway, mildly curious about what humans found so enthralling about human flesh and colored cloth.

She frowned, looking at the large posters posted up on the walls of the hallway. Models, in excessive make-up and flashy clothes, sometimes outrageously designed. Raven wrinkled her nose in slight disgust. It was a waste of hard earned money to buy rubbish like this, possibly so you could only wear it once.

Maybe it was because she was a half-demon, maybe because ever since she could remember, the only thing she had been doing in her childhood was kill. Or maybe because it was that she didn't have any female companions who were overly obsessed with materialistic goods, and the fact that her parents really never encouraged her to explore anything other then new and creative ways to make people scream out in agony.

She nearly snorted with amusement when she tried and pictured her father asking her to get ready for prom, and have a date. Hmph, it was laughable. More then laughable. Imagining her father as anything more then the cold-hearted bastard he was, was a waste of time.

She felt some one come up behind her, and instinctively set her body in a casual defensive stance. It was going to be hard to relax around these people when all her life she had been hiding in the shadows and ducking behind screens to avoid either being attacked, or being seen. The prospect of not having to hide under the veil of darkness made her feel vulnerable.

She hated feeling vulnerable.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Robin had come up behind her, looking at the posters of super models on the wall.

"I...suppose..." Raven wasn't used to have to speak to someone that either, wasn't screaming and begging for their life, or someone who wasn't her father, her comrades from the flock, or a client.

Very rarely did she engage in such casual conversation with someone who she was contracted to kill. She felt oddly like a little child playing with her food before she ate it.

"You...suppose?" Robin asked curiously.

Raven shrugged. "My...family...isn't really one to be so materialistic about people. In fact, they really couldn't care less about it." _They rather liked having me focus on making random people's brains explode in their sleep then material things._

Robin nodded. "Yeah. Being so focused with your appearance can be kind of annoying."

She shrugged again. "I wouldn't know."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. About to say something when they heard a voice, a very cheerful almost agitating cheerful voice from the end of the hall.

"Who has dropped the small amusing green cat? It is so cute!" Both of them simultaneously looked up to see a breathtakingly beautiful red-headed woman with startling green eyes. Long legs, blemish free skin with a tan that had people no-doubt drooling over her, tall, thin, small pert breasts, all the things that made up a model were personified in this woman.

"That's Beast boy" Raven replied, the little emotion in her voice she had while talking to Boy Wonder over there disappeared into one of casual disinterest.

Just as she was saying it, the green cat leaped out of her arms and transformed into the green skinned boy known as Beast Boy.

The woman gasped. She clapped vigorously and cried "Glorious! Can all creatures such as yourselves convert to such amusing animals?"

"Ah...no?" Beast boy said uncertainly. Moving closer to Robin and Raven he muttered under his breath so only they could hear. "Dude...is she, like, foreign or something?"

Robin coughed to hide his snicker and Raven just rolled her eyes." Don't Be Rude" she snapped quietly at both men. She turned to get a clearer look at the model. "Hello, Miss Koriand'r Peters" Raven said tilting her head in a subtle greeting. Robin's eyes swiveled to her, eyes questioning. "I'm your secretary, remember? I'm supposed to know all the people you're supposed to meet." She muttered on the corner of her mouth.

"Please. Have we not met before?" Koriand'r Peters, A.k.a "Starfire" asked.

Raven frowned. "I don't think we have." Although, this girl did remind her a great deal of Dove. Not so much in looks but in attitude.

"Then please, call me Korina, or Kory, which ever suits you more." Starfire chirped.

"This is my employer. Mr. Greyson." Raven said, motioning to Robin. Robin smiled and held out his hand for her to shake.

Starfire snatched his hand, and tugged him into a bone crushing hug. 'Yep' Raven thought, holding back a chuckle, 'Definitely a 'Dove-_ish_ vibe'.

"Please, allow me to show the surroundings of our building." Starfire said. Robin, looking a tad bit dazed from being in the presence of such a lovely girl, could only nod.

As they walked away, Beast boy gave a low whistle from his spot sitting on the floor.. "Wow. Friendly little thing, isn't she?"

"She certainly is...different." Raven said, amused. "Enthusiastic. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing."

She shook her head. "I'm going to find Cyborg. You be a good dog." she said, giving his hair a ruffle as she walked back down the way she came to find the half machine man. So unlike her to show that much emotion. But then again, they didn't know the _real_ her, did they?

Beast boy grinned. "For you, babe, I could be a _very _good dog." he turned into a dog just to emphasize his point, following her down the hallway. Raven rolled her eyes not turning back as she went to look for the self appointed body guard of the Boy Wonder.

They found him sitting down in the lobby eating a huge hamburger. It wasn't his first one, if the mess around his mouth was any indication. "Hey guys" He said, after chewing and swallowing. "Where's Mr. CEO?"

"Being given the grand tour by Ms. Supermodel." Beast boy said, jerking his head towards a poster of the woman hanging on the lobby wall.

"She must be the current big thing." Raven commented, just to make conversation.

"Yeah, just got off the phone with Mr. Wayne. Turns out this thing is more of a matchmaking/publicity stunt then anything else. And since Starfire is the hottest thing right now..." Cyborg trailed off, wagging his eyebrows.

"Ah, he's hoping for a whirlwind romance. The added publicity would be just a bonus, right?" Raven said.

"Oooooh, I don't understand all this business stuff." Beast Boy said sheepishly.

"No problem." Cyborg said, and changed the topic. "So, Ms. Roth, tell us about yourself."

"Uh." Raven said, a little uncertain. She shot Beast Boy a warning look to keep his mouth shut. "Nothing much to tell really. I'm just a girl looking to get by with a job."

"How about your family?" Beast Boy chimed eagerly.

She couldn't suppress the slight grimace. "My mother, I haven't heard from her for a while." Which was true. "My father...he runs a business. I was working for him for a while before I met Mr. Blood. Then I kind of ended up...here." She finished, somewhat lamely.

"No Siblings?" Cyborg said. Raven shook her head. "What about you?" Raven asked, looking at Cyborg.

The black man sighed. "Was your typical Jock, family full of police and other such things. Then there was that accident. I think The Flock must be behind it.. But...Yeah, I was made half machine cause my body was pretty much destroyed, so this was the only way I could live." He laughed hollowly, immersed in his memories "I wanted to kill myself. It's painful, having your circuits attached to your nerve endings. Real painful. Rich was the only one who stayed. All my other friends couldn't handle the fact that I'd become a freak."

"Damn Flock" Beast Boy snarled. "They killed my family."

Cyborg looked at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, The girl who killed them...my parents, well, she said it was 'courtesy of the Flock'"

"What happened?" Raven asked, the odd feeling of guilt washing over her, even though she wasn't the one involved.

"It happened two years ago. I was sixteen. My DNA has always been unstable due to some chemicals I was exposed to when I was a kid. My parents were scientists. They wanted to found out a way to reverse the effect. They were killed on the night they said they might have made a break through. I can't figure out why they wanted to kill my family. They weren't really important scientists. So why would the Flock want them dead? They ruined my life"

Raven spoke up. "Maybe someone hired the Flock to kill your parents."

Both boys looked at her. She continued. "From my research that I've done on them, the Flock is mostly collaborated of Assassins, cut throats with nothing better to do with their lives. Some are forced into it. They kill, they get paid, to them, it's nothing personal." _We just never really think about the consequences to our actions._

"Why would some of them get forced into it?" Cyborg said, watching her intently.

"Life isn't as easy as you have it for some people. Some join the Flock because they need food, some join because their good at killing. Some join because they aren't accepted into society. Some are just forced into it without a choice. Not all of them enjoy killing you know."

"Oh yeah, Name one person in that Flock that doesn't enjoy killing" Beast boy said.

__

Me.

To her surprise, Cyborg was the one who answered. "The Crow"

"What?" Raven asked, startled.

"The Crow." He repeated. "Remember, I don't know if you've heard, but I've caught some Flock operatives. When I caught the Crow, I asked him why he did all those things he did. The Massacre of that one oil executive, his family, and his employees. Basically 45 plus murders in one sitting. I asked him why he did it. He said 'For sunrise.' Dunno what that meant, but he said he wasn't happy about it. The murders I mean."

"Do you think he was being honest?" Beast boy asked.

"Yes. He looked, almost, relieved that I'd caught him. Even though I don't know what he meant. Can't ask him now, he was given the death penalty and executed about two months ago."

"Freedom" Raven said, without thinking. So that's what happened, that's why the Crow didn't put up a fight, even though he could have gotten out of jail if he wanted to.

"What?" Cyborg asked. He looked at her, an odd expression on his face.

"Hm? It means freedom." Raven said, nonchalantly before glancing up and realizing where she was. "That's what I think it means anyway."

Beast Boy scratched his head. "How do you figure?"

"Think about it. The Flock usually operates during the night, all their businesses are conducted under the cover of darkness. Like vampires almost. Sleep during the day, kill during the night. Sunrise would be something that they never get to see. It's like their prison. So to them, 'For sunrise' Means freedom from having to kill."

"You seem to know a lot about this." Cyborg said, watching her expression.

Raven kept her face emotionless, inwardly cursing herself. Now he would be suspicious. Perhaps...just a safety precaution... she should erase Beast Boy's memory of having heard her operative name.

"Mr. Blood, had us research The Flock" She said, in her 'Don't -worry-people-have-asked-me-tons-of-times' voice. "He wanted us to be prepared just in case he was ever the target. I just researched trivial information. And came to my own deduction."

While talking, she reached out with her power into Beast Boy's mind, sifting through his memories, finding the part where she introduced herself as 'Raven' and altered it. So now, all he would be able to remember would be her introducing herself as 'Rowena'

Finished, she retracted her power and sat back. Beast boy looked around, slightly dazed. "Dude, what was that?"

"What was what?" Cyborg asked, still not taking his curious gaze away from Raven. "Did you hear a Whisper?" Beast boy asked, scooting his chair closer to Raven, in nervousness.

"No, I think you're food deprived. Here, have a hamburger." Cyborg said, taking a large bite out of his own.

"Errr...it's okay, I'm a vegetarian"

Cyborg proceeded to choke on his hamburger with a horrified gasp. Raven slapped him on the back.

"You're joking" Cyborg said, as soon as he got under control, the seriousness in his voice was a tad comical to be talking about vegetarians.

"No"

"How do you survive?"

"Uhhh...Tofu?"

"You poor deprived shape shifting, boy, We need to get some meat into you ASAP"

"Ugh...No...really...It's okay...What are you doing?"

Cyborg got out of his chair and was making his way to the shape shifter, who promptly leaped up and ran around the room chased by the crazy half machine man telling him meat made the world go round.

"It's good for you!" Cyborg yelled, reaching up to snag the green sparrow currently zooming frantically around the room.

Grabbing the Green sparrow, Cyborg held him over his head like a trophy. The Beast Boy 'Trophy' promptly turned into a hippo, crashing heavily on top of the Black man, before leaping up and turning into a kitten , hopping into Raven's lap with a frantic Meow that sounded remarkably like 'Save me'

Throughout the chaos, Raven smiled, think how much of a shame it would be to break up this friendship she was developing with them.

If it was her choice, she'd tell her father to go to hell and leave her along.

It really a shame then that it really wasn't her choice to make.

Ta da! Next chapter complete! Review!


	5. Sugared Truth and Bittersweet lies

Hello again! I'm back. I've brought another wonderful chapter for you all to read. Aren't I cool? Anyways, yes, now that all of the characters have made an entrance, I think I should start easing into the plot. Of course, more interactions between the titans. Okay here goes. Action!

Oh yeah, I'm developing the Brother/sister relationship between Cyborg and Raven and Robin's confused feelings.

Egads! I forgot the disclaimer!

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Disclaimer: I have absolutely no ownership of the Titans, just this plot (which happens to be my brainchild) and a few Original characters.

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Birds Of a Feather

Chapter Four: Sugared Truth and Bittersweet lies

Friday 3:00 p.m

There she was again. Miss Rowena Roth. His new secretary/assistant. Whatever was the difference between the two. Always on time, always punctual, knew how he took his coffee, and she was probably the most efficient employee he'd ever had. She hardly ever spoke, just worked diligently, with that emotionless mask on her face that he'd come to associate her with.

It drove him crazy to know next to nothing about her. He always made it a point to get acquainted with his employees, just for the fact that it would increase productivity and the fact that he didn't feel like he was working with a complete stranger.

Somehow, Ms. Roth had made it so she wasn't considered a stranger to him, yet he knew nothing about her. Aside from the initial fact that she had previously worked for Domiscus Blood. When he had asked her about herself, she simply smiled that enigmatic smile of her, chatted extremely vague information about herself to the point where he _still_ knew nothing about her, then somehow manage to turn the conversation around to focus on _him_ as if evading interrogations were an everyday occurrence for her. He supposed it was a good thing that he didn't know so much about her, then it wouldn't develop into something odd, like office relationships.

He really disliked engaging in relationships that were other then either purely platonic and/or business with his employees. Sure he'd chat, ask about the family (if they had one) and make friendly conversation. All of his past secretaries had been more then happy to share their life stories with him (regardless of whether of not he inquired about it).

Rowena Roth, it seemed, liked to keep to herself. He promised he would honor that. Yet, it was an extremely difficult thing to do when he'd see Cyborg, yes, his _best friend_, stop from doing security checks, just so he could chat with her.

Apparently, they had a lot in common. He seemed to be teaching her 'The way of the car', as Cyborg put it. Hell, even Garfield Logan seemed to be smitten with her. Robin had seen the green shape-shifter asleep as a cat on her desk more then once.

He supposed he should get annoyed with her for that, but he didn't think he should call attention to it, especially if it didn't interfere with her productivity on the job.

Perhaps it was the way she never flinched at the fact that Beast boy could switch from one animal to another that made the shifter so comfortable with her. He'd seen other people in his office stare at the green boy, in half amazement, half disgust. Rowena, seemed completely at home to having a slightly obnoxious, slightly immature shape-shifter following her around.

That was another thing, too. Cyborg. Even people who had worked for him for long periods of time were still intimidated by the half machine black man. His general eccentricities (such as his almost scary love of meat and waffles, and semi-obsession with cars) had him labeled as somewhat...odd.

Yet there Ms. Roth was, discussing the right amount of flavoring needed to make a mean batch of blueberry waffles. As if seeing half-mechanical men with excellent cooking skills was something everyone was exposed to.

It puzzled him to see how she was so comfortable with the unusual appearance Cyborg and Beast boy.

It also frustrated him to see that while she was comfortable with _their_ eccentricities, that she seemed to want to spend less time in_ his_ presence. And _he _was her employer.

He had been watching her mannerisms. Not that he'd admit that openly to her, but, he was, first and foremost, a detective. She was a rubix cube alright. He had been watching her, not the type of watching as a stake-out, he definitely glanced at her out of the corner of his eye quite often.

He figured out, from watching her, that she liked herbal tea. She particularly liked to indulge in her Peach cinnamon tea first thing in the morning. She liked semi-sweet things. And ice cream, he had seen Cyborg treat her to an Ice cream cone after they had come back from the modeling agency as a 'welcome to the company' kind of thing.

From the look of wonder that came into her eye when she ate her ice cream cone, he knew that she probably didn't have ice cream cones in her childhood very often, if at all. It was endearing, the way she didn't seem to take everyday life for granted. The look of surprise on her face when she had seen a father pushing his daughter on the swing.

She must not have a very good relationship with her father. Maybe that's why she didn't speak about her family.

She seemed to always be on her guard. The way she would always discreetly scan her eyes around the room before entering, the way she always relaxed herself, feet slightly spread, in a somewhat defensive manner. The way she would tense, when he got close to her. The very reluctant way she would talk to him.

She was probably the most puzzling woman he had ever met. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Currently, he labeled it a bad thing because it was distracting him from getting any work done.

Stupid paperwork.

"-planning on building myself a car." he heard Cyborg say to her as he stared down his paper work. He glanced up, saw them walking towards him.

"Can you do that...?" His secretary asked.

"I'm half machine. I designed a lot of the weapons on my body, you know. I could just draw up some blueprints...and voila! Instant Car."

"Stop talking about it like you're making waffles."

Cyborg gave out a startled chuckle. "You've never tasted my waffles. Or else you wouldn't be complaining."

"Merely stating a fact." Raven replied in her usual monotone voice with a tinge of amusement. She patted him on the back. "I'm sure you make lovely waffles"

"Damn straight"

Raven chuckled slightly, shaking her head.

Robin felt slightly left out. How come Cyborg could get his secretary to joke and laugh with him, and _he _couldn't get anymore then a 'yes, Mr. Greyson, No, Mr. Greyson' out of her?

He mentally kicked himself. Damnit, he was sounding like a jealous school boy. If Cyborg had found someone he liked, then far be it for him to interfere.

Even though it bothered him slightly.

"I have to go get these files duplicated." Raven said, still smiling slightly. "I'll see you later." She turned the corner just as Cyborg was nearing Robin.

"See'ya Winn." Cyborg said cheerily. "Hey Rob"

"'Winn?'" Robin echoed.

"Rowena. Winn" He shrugged.

"You two seem to be getting close" Robin said, a little offhandedly, even though he was watching his friends reaction.

"She's not a very social person. Says she's from the country, and isn't used to this big city life. She's something different alright." Cyborg said grinning. "Poor girl doesn't know a thing about cars"

"So, you're showing her around town?"

"Nah," Cyborg shook his head. "Gar does that. Knows the streets better then I do, he lived on them"

"Gar? Does everyone have a new nickname?" Robin asked, his lips twitching slightly.

"Yep. Never met anyone like her though. Thinks differently then other people do"

"How do you say that?"

"I asked her about the security system, didn't really thing she could help, but..."

"But...?" Robin echoed.

"She pointed out some real loop holes in the system Rob. Didn't even know they were loopholes that people could use until she pointed them out."

Robin knew that look on his friends face. "So you think she's lying? You know, about herself"

"Big Possibility. I like her though, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. Even though I am a little suspicious."

"You like her?" Robin asked, repeating what he said.

"Like the sister I never had. Course she doesn't think that cars make the world go round, so I know she and I aren't related. Jus' nice to have someone who isn't freaked out by how you look, or look at you like you'll attack them any minute."

"Ah" Robin said, feeling ridiculously pleased, but hiding it.

"Ah?" Cyborg asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Do you notice that she seems to not want to be around me?" Robin blurted.

The black man blinked. "Actually...yeah. Asked her about it too."

"And?"

"Says she isn't used to being around big shots."

"Doesn't make sense...she worked for Blood...right?"

"That's why I think she's been lying. Hope I'm wrong though."

"What aren't you telling me?"

Cyborg sighed. "When you were off on that tour with that super model, Winn, Gar and I had a little chat in the lobby."

"So? How does that relate to anything?"

"We got to talking about the Flock"

Robin's eyes widened. Cyborg never like to talk about the Flock unless they were caught and waiting trial. "And?"

"Winn seemed to have a lot of info on 'em. But she said she did research for Blood just in case he was the next target, which is understandable...but..." He trailed off.

"You still think she's hiding something." Robin finished.

"Yeah, I hope I'm wrong though." He said again, looking wistfully at the big windows out looking the city. He really hoped he was wrong, and what he was worrying about was nothing...

Raven sighed, leaning against the wall just outside her employer's office.

Damn. She knew they were intelligent. But honestly, she didn't think that they'd be suspicious of her so soon.

She figured it was part her fault for allowing herself to get close to them. She shouldn't have done that. She could just turn back time and avoid it altogether.

Of course that would mean that she'd be exhausted for the next two weeks. Sure she was powerful enough to alter time, but it had it's price. It exhausted her and drained her powers completely for at least two weeks, leaving her vulnerable and defenseless.

...And she hated feeling defenseless.

She frowned slightly, mentally berating herself for even considering it. Turn back time to rectify her mistakes. How terribly _human_ of her. To want to turn back time and do everything perfect, that would make her no better then the petty humans out to kill people for their own greed.

Humanity is a horrible thing. Especially for her.

She couldn't embrace it, because of all the sins humans made with no remorse to the consequences it brought. Neither could she renounce it, because that would mean that she would have to admit that she was like her father. Yet she envied them. Their carefree naivety, their carelessness with life. She also hated them for that very same reason.

She sighed, pushing herself off the wall and walked down to her office. Not that she could really sing about her sainthood either, she was probably more responsible for the deaths of these humans then they were of themselves.

She sat down at her desk, watching Beast boy, curled like a cat on her desk, sleeping.

She watched him, and felt another pang of guilt erupted in her chest before she ruthlessly stabbed and murdered that feeling. One of the main reasons she had allowed the shape shifter to follow her was out of pity, the death of his parents took a toll on him and he was shunned out into the streets.

She wondered how she would explain to them why she had to leave early today. Just because she had a mission to kill Robin with strategic precision, that didn't exempt her from killing people on the side. She was given an assignment by her father about two days ago. She wasn't to be involved in the actual killing, but she was to be there as back up. Her instructions were to wait until she was contacted by the Flock.

She wondered idly why they needed back up, usually one assassin was enough to do the job, unless this was a special case...she frowned, wondering what it could be.

Her cell phone rang. The cell phone she was forced to by because the company phones were tapped. She deftly flipped open her phone, placed it by her ear, and simply waited.

The like crackled with static. There was silence.

She wondered how many people they were supposed to take care of tonight. It must be a big number to need two agents.

Finally a voice on the other end spoke.

"Raven? Canary." The soft, sultry, seductive voice said. Canary.

Raven cast a look at Beast boy. What a coincidence. The person responsible for Beast Boy's parent's deaths was on the other end of the phone.

"Look on your laptop"

Raven looked. Her regular desktop was the only thing she saw. She smiled. "Got it."

"See you there." The other end clicked and the dial tone heard. Canary, was perhaps one of the most efficient people in the Flock, second only to Raven. They were better acquaintances then other people in the flock.

She never called them friends.

Only Acquaintances . Because Flock members didn't have friends. Only Targets, and temporary partners. No use getting emotionally attached to someone in the Flock. It created too many unnecessary tangles.

She cast a glance at Beast boy, making sure he was still asleep, turned the laptop so that even if he did wake up, he wouldn't be able to see. When she was sure, she got to work.

Propping up her laptop on her desk, she typed a twenty-five lined code at lightning speed, her fingers zooming effortlessly across the keyboard.

She pressed enter and the screen went black. She just initiated a program to find out exactly what her position in this assignment was. That's what Canary meant.

The cursor blinked. Raven typed fourteen more lines and pressed enter. The screen was once again black. Again, the cursor blinked.

Suddenly letters began appearing.

****

Knock Knock

She typed.

****

'Who's there?'

Enter. Blinking cursor. More letters appeared

...**Who do you want it to be?**

'Not me'

The screen went blank again. Bingo. She typed seven more encoded lines, activating the system.

Blinking cursor. once again letters appeared.

****

Who's planning a trip to the Fair?

__

Canary.

****

Who will they bring along?

_Raven._

****

What game would they like to play?

__

Hangman

****

How many people will play with them?

__

Thirty two

****

How many will lose the Game?

__

fourteen

****

Where will they meet?

__

5656 Sunset Blvd. Jump City overpass.

****

Who is the guest of honor?

__

Darren Rakes. Vice president of Camshell Inc.

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When will it start?

__

8pm sharp.

The screen stayed that way for exactly a minute and a half before reverting back to the original desk top, as if she never touched it. She walked outside of her office, ready to cook up some random excuse.

As soon as she walked out the door, Beast Boy popped open an eye. Now what was that about? Was she sick? There was a tightening of her lips that he had seen on his mom when she didn't want to do something. Garfield wondered vaguely if she was alright. It had been a while since anyone ever stayed around him that long. He had promised to himself he would watch her back if anything else ever happened to her.

Well...it was the right thing to do right? She was just a regular country girl...right?

Somehow, a little memory tugged at the back of his mind, but he couldn't place it at all. Maybe he was getting old?

Still...slightly worried about her health, he decided he'd keep an eye out for her. He slinked behind out the window as he saw her exiting the building. Hey, what trouble could it be? She was just a country girl.

What harm could there be in following her?

8:00 pm. Sunset Bvd. Jump city overpass.

Raven stood there, waiting for Canary to make her appearance. She felt slightly guilty about lying to her employer. Robin had looked worried, and Cyborg had even offered to make her some soup when she told them that she wasn't feeling well.

So she felt like a lying 'Bingoch' as Dove would put it. Even though she was technically lying to them about herself. But still...

"Yeah, just stand there in your leotard. No one's gonna know it's you." A soft, seductive voice chuckled from behind her.

"Canary." Raven said, nodding.

"Raven." Canary nodded back.

"So why am I here again?" Raven asked, still slightly puzzled as to why she was there.

"Darren Rakes, Vice Pres. Of Camshell Inc. His fiancee's sister hired us to murder him...or some such because she couldn't stand the fact that her sister was getting a better man."

"So who is our client?"

"I can't pronounce her name, but she's the sister of that new Model. Starfire"

Raven blinked. "Starfire's engaged?"

"Apparently so. Darren Rakes, also known as the Aqualad, for is three time gold medals in the Olympics for swimming...or something. That and the fact that his company deals in marine Biology."

"Wonderful." Raven commented wryly. _Yet another person I have to deal with that has had the flock Ruin their lives._

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Whatever you say Raven." The beautiful redhead, with the mismatching blue and green eyes smiled. Canary was a lot like Raven, They didn't kill because they liked it, they had no choice. Canary was probably the closest person Raven had to a friend.

"How many lives do you think we've ruined?" Raven asked, out of the blue.

"Countless." Canary said. "But that happens when you're with the Flock." She sighed.

"Anyway. You're supposed to be out here just as a safe guard. I'll be back when the job's done, and we can go get pizza or something."

Raven smiled. "Pizza...would be nice. As long as we can get ice cream afterwards."

"You got it Rae. I'll be back" She walked inside the building. Leaving Raven outside by herself.

"Raven?" A male voice asked.

She turned around, only to encounter the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

Beast boy stepped out of the shadows, hurt, betrayal, anger and confusion written in his eyes.

"You're with the Flock...?"

Tee hee hee! Dun Dun Dun! Chapter 4 is complete. Reveiw!


	6. The Grey

hello people! Sorry I've been gone so long. I didn't mean to be. But Thank you all for your beautiful reviews!

So I've decided to reward you for your good behavior and patience!

So here is chapter

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V.

Birds of a Feather

Chapter Five: The Grey

"You're with the flock...?" Beast boy asked, staring at her, his green eyes trying to find some evidence of a joke in his surroundings.

Raven stayed quiet, watching him through her own violet eyes.

Silence seemed to be all the confirmation green shifter needed before he exploded. "How _could _you? _How **could **you!" _Huge tears formed in his eyes, making him look both younger and older at the same time, resigned, and broken.

"I _trusted_ you!" He sobbed, before lunging at her half in anguish, half in anger. Instantly dark energy swerved around him, halting him in mid-air, and giving him a strange sense of deja vu. "You Traitor!" he yelled at her.

Still she said nothing.

"_Why?"_ He hiccupped.

Those violet eyes remained staring at him, strangely void of all emotion.

__

"Answer me, damnit! I have a right! You killed my family! I want to know _why?"_

Finally she spoke. "It wasn't me."

Beast boy opened his mouth to yell, perhaps scream what a liar she was, when suddenly green bolts of energy flew out of the building. Destroying the windows on one of the higher floors.

Canary ran out of the building. Rapid green bolts of energy followed her. "What's wrong?" Raven asked.

"We gotta get out of here! Rakes had his fiancee in with him! Lets Go!" Canary practically flew into the circle of dark energy forming when they heard the clear voice of Starfire yelling to them. "You horrible Blornags! Thalor the All seeing will see that I have justice in your attempted to kill my Frumbar!"

Raven pulled them through the gate she created with a resigned sigh. When all three of them emerged, Beast boy, Raven and Canary were in an abandoned warehouse on the other side of Jump city.

"That's what I thought..." Raven muttered quietly.

"What?" Canary asked. "Rae, what-"

__

"You!" Shrilled beast boy. "_You did it!"_

Canary turned to look at him. "I beg your pardon? Rae, who is this?"

"Garfield Logan" Raven said, still looking deep in thought.

"Logan...Logan.. where have I heard that name?" Canary mused, looking slightly puzzled.

"My family. You killed them." Beast boy said, his voice brimming with leashed anger at how nonchalant both of them were.

"Ah." Canary's eyes lit with recognition before she frowned. "It wasn't anything personal, kid."

"Not _personal!_ My parents are _dead_!" he yelled.

"Not my fault." Canary snapped.

__

"You _killed_ them!"

"You think I did it by _choice?"_ Canary snorted. "You people with your pretty lives, know _nothing_ about the Flock. Disobedience is frowned upon, and failure is _not _tolerated. You wouldn't understand. You had a loving family who doted on you. I was a street rat who's parents sold me for fifteen dollars to the nearest pedophile they cold find so they could eat! You know _nothing_ about us."

"That's enough" Raven said. "Your emotions are making me jittery"

"Sorry Rae." Canary said, looking back at beast boy she smiled grimly. "Even if I told you I was sorry, you wouldn't believe it, would you. I pray for everyone of those people I kill. You just wouldn't understand."

"He shouldn't _need _to understand." Raven said, before drifting off into her thoughts.

Beast Boy watched them, looking at the beautiful girls obviously broken from their lives. Still, he couldn't bring himself to feel much sympathy, or pity for that matter, especially to the woman who killed his parents. Raven was another matter.

"If you hate what you do so much, why don't you get out." Beast boy whispered, clinging to the anger and sorrow he harbored for so long.

"If it were that easy, don't you think we would have gotten out already? I told you, the Flock doesn't tolerate failure, and wanting out is even worse. They won't kill you. They'll _torture_ you, and then heal you, and then torture you again. They'll torture you close to death before healing you and then they'd do it again. Punishment for failing an assignment is hard enough. Only way out of the Flock is death. And don't say that we should fake our deaths, because it won't work. They'll find, no matter where you go, and they'll drag you back in." Canary said, in a matter of fact voice.

"So you're telling me that all the people in the Flock are just poor souls who have been forced to kill?" Beast Boy snorted in disbelief.

"No" Raven said, still looking out into the night. "There are a large majority in the Flock who love killing. That's the entire reason they're there, because they're _good _at it, because they _enjoy_ it. Usually they're manipulated into enjoying it if they don't already enjoy it in the first place. Usually by drugs or some crude form of mind control." Raven said.

"Only the stronger ones, ones who still have complete control of their own minds are the ones who still have a say in how they feel about killing." Canary added.

"Why the hell should I believe you?" Beast Boy snapped, still angry.

"You shouldn't." Raven said simply. "Never trust anyone in the Flock, no matter what they say."

"Not even you?" He asked.

__

"Especially not me. I'll probably just end up killing you anyway." Raven said. She walked over to him, and placed her hand on his head. Beast Boy, still bound by the dark energy, couldn't move. Her eyes began to glow an eerie violet.

"Forget Beast Boy." Power pulsed underneath her fingers, almost like a heartbeat before he slumped over, unconscious.

"What did you do?" Canary asked.

"Erased his memory of the night and replaced it with him watching T.V."

"I still don't get how you could do that." Canary shook her head, impressed.

"Destroyed some of his brain cells, and regenerated more with different memory patterns."

"And I thought all you had to do was say 'Anza Memoro Zablala!' and poof, instant brain mush."

"It's Azarath Metrion Zinthos. And I'm not trying to turn his brain into mush." she snapped. She waved a hand at Beast Boy, and black energy engulfed him, transporting him to where ever he usually spent his nights.

"Your father is going to be upset."

"Really. I hadn't realized." Was the sarcastic reply.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You were thinking something before the green boy opened his mouth"

"Starfire, the sister of your client and your client herself, Blackfire, are Tameranen."

"_What? _That _Bitch! _Blackfire didn't mention anything like that! Oooh, I'm gonna tear out her pancreas!"

"Calm down." Raven said idly. Glancing off into the distance. "I'm sure Trigon won't do anything to penalize you. He'll be too insulted about Blackfire's misconceptions that it was easy to take down the Flock."

"Fine. I won't tear out her-" She stopped, listened for a moment, then sighed. "Drat. I have to report in. I'll see you when you finish this assignment. We'll have to take a rain check on that pizza and ice cream." Without saying goodbye, Canary ran out of the warehouse and vanished into the night.

Raven sighed, as she watched her go. Canary would still be punished. It wouldn't be severe. At least, not on the Flock's terms. After all, there were some outside forces that had taken advantage of the situation. Like Beast Boy and Starfire.

Oh well. Canary would survive. She was too strong and defiant to go down with punishment over something she had no control over.

As for herself. She blew out a frustrated sigh. She wished she could just kill Robin now before she got to attached to his companions. She made herself stay away from him in fear that she might start thinking of him as more then just a target. It would be easier if she could just kill him now and get it over with. But no, she had to wait for the opportune time, or rather, she had to wait for a signal from her father and Slade to kill him. Who knows how long that would take.

Puffing out another frustrated breath she teleported back to her apartment. She hoped it wouldn't take that long for them to give the order. She smiled grimly to herself. Knowing her father and from the sadistic waves emanating from Slade when she met him, she knew she shouldn't push her luck .

****

B.

Raven entered her apartment, and stopped just as she closed the door, making a habitual sweep with her power to ensure that no one uninvited had entered. When her sweep came out clean she walked over to her living room. Flickering her power, she turned the lights on, not wanting to bother with turning all of them on one by one.

Sheesh, she really needed a shower. She had a whole new respect for all those operatives of the flock who specialized in undercover missions. Usually she was just an outright, straight and narrow assassin. She didn't know how those operatives could juggle their illusions of normalcy, still keep an eye on their targets and kill for hire on the side.

She glanced at her answering machine, a thing which she considered vastly pointless, after all, who would call her?

The red light was blinking.

Sighing half in frustration and half in annoyance, she strolled over and stabbed the button with her finger.

__

Beeeep.

The cold clean voice of the answering machine greeted her.

__

You have one new message. Beeeep.

She rolled her eyes, yes, she _knew_ she had a message, that's why the red light was blinking wasn't it? Human machinery was _so_ pointless.

__

Message one.

"Hey. Uh. Winn?"

Raven frowned. Cyborg? What was he doing calling like this?

__

"I was just calling to make sure you're okay...and everything. Hope you get lots of rest, cause wonder boy over here's gonna freak if you aren't at work tomorrow. Heh heh. Don't worry though, I got your back. Oh! And if you're going to work tomorrow, come hungry. I'm makin' waffles!"

Czzzhrrrt.

"Cyborg? Who are you talking to?"

"Just leaving a message that's all Rob. No problems."

"Security checks still need to be made. ...And who are you talking to?"

"Right, Security checks."

"Who are you talking to?"

Cyborg's voice lowered to a whisper. _"Gotta go, Winn. Remember, hungry tomorrow, cause, waffles!"_

"Cyborg! Who in the world are you talking to?"

"I know, I know, Security checks! geez Rob, keep your panties on. Sheesh"

"Cybor-"

Click.

Friday, Seven forty-seven p.m.

End of messages.

Raven stood there, staring at her answering machine with some amusement. Well, that was certainly sweet of Cyborg to call and check up on her.

He certainly was falling into the big brother mode quite easily. It really saddened her to think that she might have to lose one of the only friends she'd ever made. Perhaps the _only_ friend.

But the Flock really didn't care what she wanted. Did they?

Her phone ran again. She picked it up on the first ring.

God, she really hated that annoying shrill sound it made.

Too noisy.

__

"Hello, my dear."

She stiffened. "Father."

__

"Ah. Well, you don't sound very pleased to hear from me."

"Why did you call?" She asked flatly.

__

"I just heard...of an interesting prophecy. Would you like to hear it?"

"No."

There was a soft chuckle from the other end.

__

"Very well, my little pawn. When The time comes, you will know of it."

Click.

What was that about?

Her eyes narrowed. Her sadistic bastard of a father must be up to something again.

And she didn't like it one bit. She glanced up at the clock. It was nearly midnight, and she had to be at work tomorrow.

Banishing those thoughts to the edges of her mind. She promised herself that she would find out what he was talking about.

Later. After she had a good nights rest. She walked into her bedroom, once again flickering her power to turn off the lights. Later, she'd think of it with a clearer head.

Later she would look back, and cringe at her stupidity.

****

B.

TBC! Ahhhhhh! I'm sorry! My computer crashed, And then I had more family emergencies. And stuff! I'll just warn you all in advance and say that Updates might come few and far between right now, since life is so hectic. But I'll try. I will. I'll really try!. Thank you all!


	7. Bizarre Circumstances

Back. Yes. In contrast to what other people think, I'm not dead. I just had to take a little break to clear my head from all the family problems. But now I can finally say that things are looking better, although I don't want to jinx it. Here is another installment

****

V.

Birds of a Feather

Chapter Six: Bizarre Circumstances

Raven stared at her cup of tea, lost in thought as she sat in the coffee lounge at work. Thoughts concerning a Model, and a Marine Biologist. The lounge door opened without her noticing, so lost in her thoughts.

"Mornin' Winn." She turned her head to look a grinning Cyborg, a box in his left hand.

She stared at it, then raised her eyebrows at him. "Are those my waffles?"

He chuckled. "Maybe."

"They'd better be, I skipped breakfast for them." Admittedly, she never ate breakfast, but still, a white lie never hurt.

He laughed, "Well this is your lucky day, little lady, because what I have here," he motioned to the Box "happens to be the best gosh darn Waffles this side of Jump city."

Raven tilted her head. "And what about the Other side of Jump City?"

Cyborg rolled his human eye good naturedly. "Women, what ever you do, it's never enough"

She chuckled softly. "Thanks Cyborg."

The metallic man pulled out a chair and sat across from her. "Now lets chow down on these babies."

With that, he opened the box and started pulling things out of them. Raven watched, wide eyed as she saw more then waffles emerge. The smell of the obviously hard-made breakfast intoxicated her so she did notice that the door opened once again to reveal their rather tired looking employer. Upon seeing them, all the exhaustion in his eyes vanished to be replaced with a suspicious light, something looking remarkably like annoyance to Raven.

"Mornin, Oh fearless leader." Cyborg said, busy loading up eight large fluffy golden waffles onto a plate, hefting a sizable amount of honey onto them, sprinkling raspberries on the top before sliding the plate over to rest in front of Raven.

She stared at the plate. "Good God, Cyborg, are you trying to feed a small country?" Still, she was amused, and a little touched by his generosity.

"Nope. Just you. You look like you could get blown away by the wind, girl." He said, quite cheerfully, loading the same amount of waffles onto a second plate.

She rolled her eyes. Right. Not even an atomic bomb could blow her away.

"Ahem." Robin, if possible, was looking more put out by the fact that they had both forgotten about him. He cleared his throat, before asking. "Cyborg, what's all this?" He said, motioning to the amount of food set out on the table. Biscuits, scones, bacon, everything ranging from eggs benedict to sliced fruit was set out on the table. A towering plate of waffles swayed precariously in the middle of the table. Robin's eyes narrowed. Since when had Cyborg ever managed to make breakfast?

Yes, Cyborg was a skilled cook. Very skilled in fact, but usually he didn't have time in the morning to make such a feast. Usually the half mechanical man usually ate day old scones in the company lounge. This was certainly an odd turnaround.

Cyborg didn't answer him, his eyes were closed in rapture, savoring the taste of his homemade waffles.

"Well?" Robin asked, crossing his arms in annoyance. It was Raven who answered him.

"These are the waffles he promised me last night." she said, motioning to the tower of waffles in the middle and her own heaping helping in front of her. "The others?" she motioned at the scones, muffins, and everything else. "I have no idea"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Last night?" he echoed.

Raven chuckled. "He called me to tell me to get better. Then he said he'd make me waffles."

"Less talking, more eating." Cyborg ordered through a mouthful of eggs benedict. Raven rolled her eyes, but forked a mouthful of waffles into her mouth.

"So?" Cyborg asked, slightly anxious about what she thought.

She swallowed, and stared at him. "You have to give me the recipe for these. Very, very good." Cyborg grinned, then looked at his employer and friend.

"Want some, Rob?"

Robin opened his mouth to comment. The door burst open again.

" I smell waffles!" Beast boy said, already salivating over the aroma.

"Pull up a chair, Gar." The black man said.

Not needed to be told twice, Beast boy practically ripped out a chair and as soon as his butt hit the seat, he was loading up on everything.

Raven looked on in mild awe and disgust as she watched Beast Boy load his plate. Eggs Benedict on waffles, scones, muffins and butter on eggs benedict, all towering high with fruit shoved to the edges of the plate like a colorful porcupine. To top it all off, Beast boy loaded honey on the entire plate. The sweet syrup oozing over the entire thing.

Raven stared. She didn't know what amazed and disgusted her more. Beast Boy's table manners, or the food in front of him. Neither, she decided, as she watched Beast Boy stare at his plate with food instilled lust. It was the fact that he was actually planning on eating the mess.

Glancing up, she saw Cyborg staring at Beast Boy, practically turning as green as the changeling himself. Robin, also looked nauseated.

Apparently she wasn't the only one mildly horrified by Beast Boy's eating habits.

"So, Beast Boy, what did you do last night?" Cyborg said, after gulping down a glass of orange juice.

Raven tensed slightly. She knew she had wiped Beast boy's memory, still, she couldn't help second guessing herself. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she focused on eating the breakfast Cyborg made for her, vaguely aware that Robin had pulled up a seat next to her.

She couldn't help feeling slightly awkward, sitting and having breakfast with her target and his entourage,

Her lips curled involuntarily at the irony of it all. Here she was, Raven, Trigon's daughter, top assassin in the Flock, sitting having breakfast with people who clearly hated the flock with all their might.

Albeit she hated it too, at least they weren't a part of it. Cyborg and Beast Boy's family had been murdered by her father's organization and Robin was on to the top of their hit list.

Yes, wasn't fate a cruel bitch?

"...Watching Clash of the Planets last night." Beast Boy said, with obvious relish.

Raven very nearly rolled her eyes at the childish enthusiasm practically gushing from his pores. Stabbing a waffle viciously with her fork, she motioned with it.

"Television rots your brain."

Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at her. "You! you evil being! Back! Back I say!" Beast boy squealed dramatically placing a hand over his heart.

Robin hid a smile behind his hand and shook his head. Sometimes he wondered about the sanity of the people in his office.

Still, Beast boy was still ranting. "How could you say that! Television is good for you! You! You're not normal."

"Says the being with green skin." Raven's monotone voice laced with sarcasm and amusement.

"You!" Beast boy paused, frowned, glared at her, then promptly stuffed a waffle into his mouth, deciding not to answer. Or more accurately, he couldn't come up with one.

Cyborg was busy writing something on a napkin.

Robin frowned. "What are you doing?" he asked his metal friend.

"Keeping score." Cyborg muttered nonchalantly. "Rowena One. Garfield zero."

Robin rolled his eyes, then started eating.

Silence reigned over the table for a while.

Raven sat and thought about her current situation, berating herself for getting close with them and getting comfortable in their presence.

She supposed it would be easier if they trusted her. It would be easier to kill her target if she got close.

...But...if she was honest with herself, she didn't think she could betray them if they trusted her. That wasn't her style.

She didn't want to see the look of betrayal on their faces like she had the previous night with Beast Boy.

She sat up straighter, remembering the call she got earlier this morning from Bruce Wayne when she checked in to her desk.

"Mr. Greyson?"

"Richard" He corrected automatically, cringing slightly.

"Robin" Cyborg said, grinning.

"Wha?" Beast boy asked, his mouth still full with fruit.

"Don't talk with you mouth full." Raven said. Having often said the same thing to Dove.

He chewed, swallowed, then answered. Sarcasm heavy in his voice he muttered "Yes, Mother." So quietly, had it been anyone else, they wouldn't have heard it.

"What was that?" Raven asked, perfectly aware of what he had said.

"Eh heh heh heh. Nothing?"

Sighing, she turned back to Robin, only to find him staring at her intently with an amused expression on his face.

She forced down the blush the was threatening to overcome her face. What was wrong with her?

"Mr. Wayne called this morning."

Robin straightened in his seat, "What did he say?"

"He said he wants you to go to France. To conduct some business." she said.

Robin growled low in his throat. "Damn him" he muttered softly.

"Apparently you are to take only those who will be of help with you. I'm supposed to book the tickets this afternoon. We leave tonight."

"Tonight?" He echoed. He rubbed his eye in a tired motion.

"Who will you be taking?" Raven asked, not bothering to repeat it.

"Cyborg, of course, and you."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Understood." She got up. Ready to make the necessary arrangements. "Excuse me for a minute."

__

"Helloooo?" Beast boy said, waving his arms frantically, "What about me!"

"Sorry Garfield." Robin said, looking apologetic. "Unless you're willing to sit through over five hours of negotiation, I don't think it will be very interesting."

"But-but, I can help." He pleaded.

"No doubt you can." Cyborg said "But it'll be pretty boring."

"I can go sight see or something while the three of you are in the meeting"

"Can you speak French?" Raven asked, fed up with his whining.

"No"

"Can you read French?"

"No"

"Do you know how to interpret the French subways?"

"No"

"My guess is that you'll end up getting lost in the airport."

Beast Boy growled softly. "And I suppose _you _know how to read, write and speak in French"

Raven smiled a self depreciating smile. "I can read, write and speak in 26 different languages, not including English."

It wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. Raven thought, somewhat bitterly at the harsh treatment she had endured while learning.

Beast Boy deflated a little and Cyborg and Robin stared at her in appreciation and slight disbelief.

"Then what am I gonna do while you're gone?"

Raven threw a look at Robin, silently asking him to give the guy something to do.

Robin shrugged, at a complete loss.

He glanced at Cyborg, who shrugged in return, snagging a biscuit

Raven sighed. "Here" She reached into the bag resting against her chair and pulled out a thick manila folder.

"Deliver this to the address. When you do, they'll give you another folder to deliver at another address and so on"

"So I'm the delivery boy?"

"Unless you want to sit in the office for the duration of our trip."

"..." Beast boy stared malevolently at the folder before snatching out of her hands. "Fine. But you owe me."

"Not really." Raven remarked, slightly bemused.

"Why not?"

"Technically you don't work for Mr. Greyson."

"Richard." Robin interjected automatically.

"Robin." Cyborg said, his mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, didn't these boys know any manners?

"Therefore, we are under no obligation to take you along with us." She continued.

Beast boy muttered something under his breath about the unfair ness of it all before he grudgingly agreed.

"So, if we're done here, gentlemen, I still have work to do." She strode to the door, turned back and looked at Cyborg. "Thanks for lunch, Cy."

"No problem."

Raven turned her attention towards Robin.

"And Mr. Greyson?"

"Richard. Is that so hard to say?" He said.

"Robin." Beast Boy and Cyborg chimed, grinning.

She gave in and rolled her eyes.

"Ms. Koriand'r Peters called. Apparently she requires that you call her back at the soonest possible moment."

Beast boy and Cyborg began making cat calls.

Robin blushed.

"A word of caution, Mr. Greyson." Raven said.

"Richard." her employer all but snapped.

"Robin." the other two sing-songed in the midst of their cat-calling.

"Ms. Starfire is engaged."

Robin's eyes narrowed. He'd never heard that before.

"To your former associate, Darren Rakes. Or as the public calls him, Aqua lad. I'll make the arrangements for our flight."

With a nod she walked away, as regal as a queen, leaving three befuddled men in her wake.


	8. Just shoot me

Yes. I know that I haven't updated in a while, but new, more serious circumstances occurred, and I wasn't able to update. I don't know how often I'll get to update from now on, but I'll try. So here is the next chapter.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**Birds Of a feather**

**Chapter Seven: Just shoot me.**

**V.**

Raven decided that she hated traveling.

Hated it.

With an unmitigated passion.

Well...at least traveling the normal way. On an airplane. She could have just told Robin and Cyborg that they should have gone without her and that she'd meet up with them in the airport in a couple of hours.

But _noooo._ Her darling employer _insisted _that she ride along with them. They were going to France for at least two weeks. Perhaps more, considering that they'd have more business associates flying in from different countries to conduct a multi-branch business proposition.

Her fearless boss had also decided that while she was with them in France, could she at least stop looking like a fifty year old with her prissy suits and shapeless fake glasses?

Of course, Robin didn't exactly _say_ that, per say, it was implied, because, of course, if he _had_ said it, she probably would have torn out his voice box.

So, two hours after work had let out, four and a half hours before their flight was scheduled to leave, here she was, staring at an empty suitcase, muttering to herself about idiot targets and annoying green eyed brats, and car-oriented half machine men, and generally just being her pessimistic self.

She stared at the lovely deep indigo sundress that her Stylist had come up with (did she mention that her _selfless_ boss had forced her to get an entirely new wardrobe when she admitted that she had very little clothing aside from casual clothes and suits?)

"If you're going to be one of the faces working in Wayne Industries, you can at least look a little bit more your age. Lighten up a bit." He had said.

So instead of doing paperwork for the day (which she would rather have preferred, thank you very much) she was whisked off to a salon, her hair was styled, her measurements were taken and she was splattered with what felt like every color of the rainbow and the stylist had told her to _burn_ those _hideous things_ she called suits.

Really, whoever invented beauty salons was a sadist.

And she would very much like to meet them so she could rip their heads off and feed them to her father's three headed dog.

Raven stared at the dress, hoping beyond hope that somehow, that flirty revealing wisp of fabric might just suffer a seizure (never mind the fact that it wasn't actually _alive)_ . She sighed, oh how she was reduced to such things.

sad, really.

Still muttering about egotistical chauvinistic pigs masquerading around as her employer, she levitated her new colorful(cringe) and flattering wardrobe into her suit case. The hair clips forcibly put into her hair by her stylist (whom she was _positive_ was Trigon's incarnation) held. Ironically shaped in Chrysanthemums (the Japanese flower symbolizing death) it gave her a very delicate and elegant look.

She eyed the dress with distaste before putting the thing on, and stared incredulously at the small little hand bag that came along with it.

...What the hell was she supposed to put in those damn things?

Of course, any normal girl would know you'd put beauty accessories, a small brush, maybe lip gloss and a small bottle of lotion into such things.

But Needless to say, Raven was not normal. And so, being raised to kill and maim people, the only logical thing she could thing that would even _fit_ into such a small bag, was her Runic dagger.

But that probably wouldn't pass security. Alas, she couldn't bring that either.

Growling in frustration(in the privacy of her own apartment of course) she reached out with her magic and viciously tore the damn bag into shreds.

Letting out a breath of satisfaction, she closed her suit case, picked it up and marched out her door, stumbling slightly in the strappy four inch heels(which she was sure was another form of unwritten torture).

"I hope I get to kill him soon." She muttered darkly as she closed the door to her apartment and locked it from the inside with her power.

**V.**

Raven walked into the airport, in her flirty little sundress, in a supremely bad mood. She supposed she was allowed to have her share of off days, but this was ridiculous. She had to exercise a supreme amount of self control on her way to the airport.

She had hailed a taxi from her apartment and was rewarded with a very annoying cab driver who chatted away like an obnoxious squirrel and smelled strongly of fish and pipe tobacco.

On her way to the terminal she had gotten more then a few leering looks and appreciative glances...And if one more person whistled at her, she wouldn't be held responsible if that person's belt unhooked itself from his pants and began choking him. If one more woman shot her that annoyed, insecure, scathing look while tightening her grip on her husband/boyfriend, things were going to get really, _really_ ugly.

Human affection and emotion were useless. It all lead to petty jealousies, heartbreak and got in the way of common sense.

She shook her head in aggravated exasperation when she felt a large hand clamp down on her shoulder. Instinctively she reacted, her hand shooting up from her sides to grip the offending person's wrist, squeezing just hard enough to make the muscles in the person's hand relax.

Thank goodness she didn't twist his wrist and snap his fragile human bones, she would probably have blown her cover, considering who her attacker was.

She twisted her body slightly, in a nonchalant manner, her vivid indigo eyes meeting with electric blue ones.

A little annoyed with herself that she had allowed someone to sneak up on her, she managed to look coolly into those bright eyes, she smiled wryly and said in a voice that belied her self-directed annoyance.

"Mr. Greyson, so glad you could make it."

**V.**

Richard Wayne Greyson hated feeling surprised. He never liked it when people threw him surprise birthday parties, or when people went behind him and covered his eyes.

He. **Hated**. Surprises.

So he made a deal with himself that he would always be prepared for everything.

Which made it all the more surprising when Rowena Roth walked through the airport doors. He couldn't exactly pinpoint his reaction towards her. It felt remarkably like when one gets on a roller coaster and experiences a drop of over three-hundred feet at one hundred sixty miles an hour.

That feeling where all your organs plunge down to your feet and become jelly.

Yeah, that was certainly the feeling. Or at least as close to describing it as one got.

She looked...Ethereal.

She looked like she had been pulled out of the shadows in some fairy tale.

She looked pissed.

Richard grinned looking at the set line of her mouth as she glared at a particularly appreciative man walking by.

Well, it seemed that his little secretary disliked being ogled at as much as he did. Perhaps more. She was no model, but there was an exotic touch-me-and-die sort of beauty surrounding her, and naturally, that drew in the curious...and apparently, the suicidal.

He had walked up to her as her back was turned to him, scanning the crowd, presumably for him and Cyborg. He placed his hand on her shoulder and received another little shock as her hand shot out, grabbed his wrist and squeezing, stunning the muscles in his hand long enough to look back at him, her face as emotionless as ever.

"Mr. Greyson, so glad you could make it." she said quietly, wry amusement in her voice that didn't reach her eyes.

"Richard." He corrected automatically, griping his stunned wrist with his other hand, gently massaging it. Now that was odd. Where would a quiet little secretary learn such a move? Perhaps she took defensive classes?

No. Those classes only taught you how to claw someone's eyes out, shove your foot into someone's groin, twist an arm...but not pressure points at least, not as far as he was aware. Perhaps they changed what they taught in defensive classes.

He sighed softly in frustration, his secretary was a puzzle alright. A five thousand piece puzzle, with about four thousand five hundred fifty pieces missing.

If he were the childish type, (which he wasn't), he would have probably stomped his foot, and _demand_ to know why the hell she was so secretive around him. Although, she _was_ secretive around everyone else as well, but that still didn't stop him from being extremely annoyed with her, for keeping things from him.

But, he would respect her privacy.

The tiny voice in his head chided him, saying that _he_ wouldn't appreciate it if she were too try and pry into his life, and find out all of his well kept secrets..

"Where is Victor?" His secretary asked, glancing around the airport with no amount curiosity.

'Victor, now is it?' he thought, as something horribly petty began to wedge it's way into his chest before he ruthlessly shoved it back down.

"Talking with security."

"Hmm. I suppose it would be slightly difficult to convince security to let you across the gate when you have a sonic cannon, capable of ripping through metal. That and the fact that he is half metal..." she trailed off.

He stared at her incredulously. That was the most she had ever said to him in her short time working for him.

She turned vivid violet eyes on him. "Shouldn't you help him, Mr. Greyson? We wouldn't want to miss our flight."

"Richard. And no, he'd probably just tell me that he doesn't need any help. Besides, people know him throughout the city anyway, considering how many criminals he's caught. So don't worry about it." he said, leading her to their seats to wait for Cyborg.

She looked out around, spotting the half machine man having a heated, but quiet discussion with who she supposed was the head airport security.

"If you say so, Mr--"

"Richard. _Rich-ard."_ He enunciated it very carefully, as if he were speaking to a linguistically challenged foreigner.

"... Whatever you say, Sir."

"Good God, woman. Richard. Is it so hard to say my name?" He snapped.

"I _am_ saying your name, Mr. Greyson."

He growled. "This is getting very irritating."

"Indeed."

He was muttering something under his breath about stubborn enigmatic secretaries when Cyborg sauntered over to them, looking harassed.

"I could've used your help you know. Some friend you are." He muttered grumpily, plopping down in a seat next to Rowena and across from Richard.

Richard pointedly ignored the amused 'I told you, you should have helped him' look his secretary was giving him.

"You handled it well enough, didn't you?" He said.

"Yeah...but that don't mean I wouldn't have appreciated your help." Cyborg snapped.

"Victor. As amusing as it would be to see you bicker like little children, I'm afraid that our flight is boarding. If you'd like, you can continue your argument on the plane." Raven said, looking at the half machine man with sympathy.

She had also dealt in situations where other operatives assumed she didn't need any help in certain situations (she survived, obviously, but she would have appreciated a little backup.) But really, that had nothing to do with Cyborg's little chat with security..

"Right." Cyborg muttered, nodding, as they gathered their belonging's and readied themselves to board the plane.

**V.**

Raven tilted her head to the side as she tried to get her tense muscles to relax. It had been an extremely exhausting (and long) flight, a flight she hoped she would never have to go though again (Of course, that was a little useless, since she had to fly back with her employer).

Getting up, she walked into the French airport feeling sluggish and sleepy.

"We have to get to the hotel, Mr. Greyson, we have an early morning meeting tomorrow" she muttered softly as she walked to the baggage pick-up.

Robin muttered something that she didn't quite catch as he followed her, looking slightly put out and in a bad mood.

Cyborg grinned from her side. "Don't worry about him, Winn, he's always like this when he stays cooped up in one place for too long."

Raven shrugged, smirking slightly. "He's a bit impatient, isn't he?"

"Who? Rich? Yeah, he doesn't seem to understand the term 'vacation' he always has to be doing something. Hell, _I_ get exhausted just watching him sometimes."

Raven grinned. "I can imagine."

"Are you two done socializing? Lets go to the hotel already." Robin scowled at them, shouldering his duffle bag against is shoulder.

"Yes sir!" Cyborg said, snapping up into a mocking salute, before hauling his own bags over his shoulder, and taking Raven's bag as well.

"You don't need to do that you know, I can carry my own bags." Raven said, feeling slightly odd at seeing someone touching her belongings.

"Eh, you look tired, besides, I'm half machine, remember? I don't tire out as easily as you weak humans do." Cyborg grinned.

'_I'm half demon, tin-man...I don't tire out as easily either.' _Raven thought, but said nothing.

"Hurry up people. We're losing daylight." Robin grumbled from ahead of them.

Raven cast a glance out the window, and then shot a look at Cyborg. "I suppose it would be a little pointless to inform him that it's almost eleven 'o clock at night right?"

"Extremely pointless"

Raven smiled, following behind Cyborg. It felt nice to have someone watch her back for her without having to be told so. Not for the first time, she wondered how it would be like to have been born a normal human, to not have to worry about Trigon, and Brother Blood and Slade...

How would she have been like if she were a normal, ignorant human?

Cyborg wasn't human anymore, but at least he had a loving family before everything was taken away from him, at least he had been able to express emotion without having to worry about things blowing up and getting destroyed.

She wondered how it would have been like if she had siblings. A Protective brother like Cyborg, an annoying younger brother like Beast boy...

She shook her head, berating herself for being stupid. Demon's didn't dream of useless things, like freedom. Demons had power, they didn't _need_ freedom. The didn't need things like love and happiness to survive, they fed of despair, agony and sadness.

And Raven was a Demon, perhaps not a full fledged demon, but close enough.

She didn't need the things weak little humans needed to survive either.

As she walked out of the French airport, and piled into the Limousine with Cyborg and Robin, she wondered just how long it would take her to convince herself that she wasn't lying to herself.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Yes, I know I've been gone for a really long time. But this have been a rough year for me. One of my family members died of cancer, and certain lawsuits are going on in other parts of my family...it's been very hectic this past year, And I apologize for the really long wait and all I can do is apologize with this chapter (even though it's shorter then I would have liked). I don't really know when I can really get the next chapter up. I'll try, but I make no guarantees. Thank you to all those people who still support me. And No, This is not a dead story.


	9. Viva La Fance!

Flutter Flutter. Behold! For I have returned. Hopefully nothing will restrict me from writing again, but it is going to be difficult. Anyways, thank you, thank you, _thank you_ for all your support. And I hope I'll be able to update faster (hopefully with less family problems getting in the way). So here is the long awaited chapter Nine! Hurrah!

**oOoOoOoOoOoO**

**Birds Of a Feather**

**Chapter Nine: Viva La France!**

**V.**

Rowena Roth, secretary of Richard Greyson, daughter of Trigon: Demon King of all things Evil and top assassin was bored out of her mind.

She had entered a world of business tycoons who were too wrapped up in their greed to notice that human beings (even a half-demon like herself) needed food, rest and bathroom breaks to survive.

Shifting silently in her chair (which she had been sitting in for over four hours now) she glanced discreetly at the clock mounted on the wall. Watching as it ticked away mockingly at her slow torture.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick Tock. _

...She was ready to kill someone.

Preferably someone with blue eyes, black hair and called himself Richard Greyson.

She didn't like sitting down doing nothing. Or rather, she didn't like sitting around listening to other people chatter away about how best to merge certain companies together or how to proceed with a hostile take over currently in progress in one of the branches in Japan.

It was so boring that her usually up and alert brain had seemed to have taken a lunch break. The normally coherent words she'd hear coming out of the mouths of the board of executives became:

"...Blah blah blahdy blah. Blah blah blah?"

And the man he'd be talking to would respond with an illuminating:

"Blahhhh. Blah blah blah blah _Blahbity _Blah. Blah blah blah?"

Yes. She was going crazy. And if this didn't end soon, she was going to have to maim someone. Painfully. And she would enjoy it. Immensely.

Her salvation came out of her employers lips. And at that moment she could have kissed him with relief.

"...and with that said, Gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned. We'll meet again in two days to review the growth of certain rival companies as well as think about the possible choices to be made concerning the Takada Corporation. Thank you"

As soon as all the members of the board of Executives had left the room leaving the three of them alone, Cyborg (Who had been dozing off in the corner of the room) stood up and poked his friend in the chest with a metal finger and said empathically

"I hate you."

Richard blinked. "What? Why?"

"I thought you were my friend. And you subject me to that, that...that _torture? _Hell, even Winn, was starting to get annoyed." Cyborg muttered gruffly, obviously in a bad mood.

Richard glanced at his secretary, an unasked question in his eyes.

"Well...It was rather...long." A pause. "And Dull... and Long."

"See?" Cyborg muttered. "It was torture sitting here and watching you yatter about mergers and business meetings."

Richard rolled his eyes, "It was a Business _meeting_, Vic, what else did you expect us to talk about? Daisies?"

"Can we at least go out on the town or something?" Cyborg asked.

"We have two days, remember, you and I can go out, and see what France has to offer." Raven said, violet eyes amused.

"What about me?" Richard asked, " Aren't I going to be able to see the 'town' too?"

Raven turned and blinked owlishly at him. "...you...would like to come with us?" The very idea of the man she was assigned to kill, 'spending a day on in the town' with her seemed odd. Raven really didn't know how to feel about this.

She settled for incredulity. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable researching your business information, sir?"

Richard's left eye twitched suspiciously. "One of these days I'm going to get you to say my name. Which, by the way, isn't 'sir'."

"Yessir" Raven replied automatically, before she was aware of what she had said.

Robin buried his head in his hands and moaned in frustration, just as Cyborg seemed to be seized by a sudden attack of coughing.

"Er...sorry sir," Raven said, before looking slightly sheepish. Her mind was still out to lunch apparently, and wasn't returning anytime soon.

"Let's just go to lunch please? I'm hungry" Robin said, shaking his head, before wandering out of the business room. Raven and Cyborg followed, Cyborg swinging his arm around Raven's shoulders as they walked out of the office.

"Your brain's fried too, huh?" He asked, grinning broadly at the slightly vacant expression on his best friend's secretary's face.

"Yes, I'm afraid I still have a bit of jetlag." Raven admitted softly, glancing up at Cyborg's human eye. "I was tired before, but I suppose it's a good kind of tired"

Cyborg chuckled, then lowered his voice into a theatrical whisper.

"Why don't you and I sneak out tonight and see what kind of French cuisine reigns supreme?"

Raven smiled slightly, "It's all about food with you, isn't it?" remembering the huge amount of food he had consumed during breakfast.

"Damn straight"

She chuckled softly, surprising both herself and Cyborg at the soft sound. Apparently her employer had also heard, because he'd turned around and looked at her before continuing out of the building.

She must be more tired and distracted than she originally had thought. It must be because of the fact that she hadn't meditated in a week or so that she wasn't up to par with her usual witty self.

A good long meditation was in order, she promised herself. Just a soon as she got into the her hotel suite.

**V.**

She had a nice laugh, he decided, all soft and unexpected. He'd never heard her laugh before. It was a nice sound, he thought, before he mentally slapped himself repeatedly and told himself he was an idiot.

Hell, she was his _employee_, for God's sake! He couldn't, no, _wouldn't_ think about her laugh, or anything remotely un-platonic about her. At all. Period. With an exclamation point. _Two _exclamation points. It was unprofessional. It was childish. It was...strangely alluring.

He mentally slapped himself.

God he needed a beer. Fancy, expensive, _French_, beer.

...Did the French _have _beer?

He mentally slapped himself again.

And mused that his mental self would be very bruised throughout the duration of the business trip. And would quite possibly be pressing charges against him for abuse.

Richard was absolutely sure that he was slowing going insane. Not only was he attacked by a suspicious emotion that felt astoundingly like jealousy (which, of course, it _wasn't_, he was sure) every time she smiled at Cyborg, but he also felt a strange kinship towards her, even though she had absolutely done nothing to promote that sort of feeling at all.

Perhaps it was the fact that she seemed so aloof, and confident, yet at the same time radiated a terrible loneliness every time she smiled. It was as if she wasn't used to smiling at all, her face, when she wasn't looking at him, or talking to Vic, seemed to fall into a natural state of 'blankness' that revealed nothing about her.

She was an irritating mystery. An enigma of the most intricate kind. The kind that had Layers and layers, and _layers_ of hardships and secrets just waiting beneath her eyes.

Someone had once said that the eyes were the windows to the Soul, if that were true, then he was afraid that Rowena might not _have _a soul. Or at the very least those windows were shuttered, locked, encoded, with gigantic inhuman guards blocking it from view.

Every time he looked in her eyes, it was blank. Completely devoid of any emotion. Sadness, happiness, amusement, seemed to reside on an entirely different plane with her. As if she wouldn't permit herself to feel anything.

Which, again, was strangely alluring. It made him want to break down the un-climbable walls she'd surrounded herself with and get to know her. The _real_ her, and not the person she was masquerading around as.

However, he didn't exactly know if he would like the person that hid behind the mask.

And that, was quite possibly the reason he didn't try.

He had a foreboding feeling that if he did get to know her, not only would he be forced to come to certain revelations he wasn't ready to come to yet, but he also got the feeling that they would be on opposing sides.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, and watched her as she was tucked into the crook of his best friends arm, looking impossibly small and fragile. But her eyes screamed that she was anything but.

Her eyes looked..._old._

Like they'd watched the world for millions of years and were filled with a knowledge and perceptiveness that was incomparable to anything human he'd ever seen.

He decided that he would get to know her, even if it was just getting to know what made her tick, rather than anything of importance.

He waved off his odd behavior as stress related, and decided that he should at least take a nap before doing anything in town, lest he kill himself tripping down a man hole or something equally embarrassing due to his behavior.

"...Greyson..? Mr. Greyson. sir?" his secretary was calling him.

He glanced at her. "I think you continue to do that just to annoy me."

She blinked, "I beg your pardon?"

"I told you to call me Richard"

"... ah..." She paused, as if digesting this, then said; "Perhaps we should rest for an hour or two before we go into town. Would that be alright?"

" 'Ah'? what's that supposed to mean?"

"What?"

"That 'Ah', What did you mean by that?"

"...it was... an.. 'Ah', sir"

"Clearly it was a loaded 'ah""

She stared blankly at him, as if wondering if the business meeting had fried _his_ brains more then he let on.

And he felt like an idiot. "Er, never mind. Yes, lets take an hour or two, I think I need a nap, anyway."

"Very good, sir." God, she sounded like Alfred. He wandered away, shaking his head.

A nap, that sounded like a very, very good idea to him right about now.

**V.**

Raven walked into her hotel suite. Shutting the door firmly behind her, shaking her head in amusement. Her employer was tired. It permeated through his every pore, but he was so damn stubborn that he'd probably end up killing himself over something stress related. Perhaps she wouldn't even have to do anything at all. Perhaps she'd just let the stress kill him for her.

But then, what kind of assassin would she be if she did that?

_One not responsible for his death._

She paused, suddenly somber. She glanced around her room, making sure no one had come in uninvited, then wandered to her bed.

Reaching out with her power she locked the door and sat cross-legged, floating above her bed. Closing her eyes, she rested her hands on her legs, in meditation fashion and began to chant.

"Azarath, Metrion Zinthos..." she felt her body relax, her mind cleared, and her control (of her emotions, one she worked so hard to gain) returned.

And for the first time since starting this assignment, she felt at peace.

**V.**

Three hours later, she sat up in bed, blinking slightly, her mind and body feeling refreshed, she dressed.

Her dreams of late had been taking a darker turn, not even meditation could curb the darkness of it. It was only bits and pieces of places, and people, but it left her feeling an ever sinking dread settle into her stomach. Dreams weren't good things for her.

It never had been.

Dreams, were just another way for her Father to control her. And for that she hated them.

Wandering outside of her room, she spotted her employer and Cyborg, sitting in the lounge, drinking what looked like hot chocolate.

Spotting her, Cyborg grinned "Hey sleepy head. How was your nap?"

"Good" Her voice was back to a monotone, her indifferent expression in place.

Cyborg's grin widened. "You ready to go out on the town?"

"Yes."

"Right, let's go then. Coming Rob?"

Her employer looked up at her. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all sir, you're welcome to join us."

She heard him give a strangled mutter, possibly about the way she didn't respect his wishes to be called by his name.

Perhaps he was a little right. Perhaps, she _was _enjoying frustrating him. It was strangely refreshing.

She shook her head slightly and smothered the urge to ask him if he was feeling alright. From the look of things, he wouldn't appreciate it.

**V. **

"But Rob, we _have _to eat at this place, they serve steak! Good steak!" Cyborg snapped.

"No way, it's too public, it's bad enough that I have people gawking at me like I'm sort of sidewalk sideshow, I will _not_ subject myself to that sort of impolite behavior while I eat my _dinner_" Robin snapped back.

"It's not _my_ fault you're so damn famous, tell them you're not the guy their looking for! Rob, I _want_ to eat that steak."

"It's not like I'm the only one drawing in stares, you know. It's not everyday they see someone like you."

"My hologram rings were on the fritz, okay? It's not like I have a choice how people see me."

"So you should stop ripping on _me_ about the way people are looking when it's not my fault."

Raven rolled her eyes discreetly from behind them. Honestly, it was like watching to toddlers fighting over what to eat.

Actually it was just like two toddlers fighting over what to eat, only the 'toddlers' were grown men, which made it all the more amusing to watch them bicker.

" 'allo, mon cher." Raven stiffened at the sound of that soft voice. She spun around, meeting the amber eyes of a stunningly voluptuous woman.

"Odile. What a...surprise to see you here." Raven said, her eyes and personality seeming to withdraw further into herself.

Robin and Cyborg looked at each other in slight confusion before focusing on the two women standing behind them.

"Why? France _iz_ my 'ome, mon cher."

"Forgive me." Raven's eyes flickered to her two companions. "But I wasn't planning on seeing you here. Weren't you on a _business _trip in Asia?"

The woman, Odile, laughed, her voice musical and seductive. "Zat ended _ages_ ago, mon cher, I 'ave a very different assignment at ze moment."

She turned to look at the two men standing a little away from Raven and smiled. "Per'aps we might dine togezzar?"

"Another night, Odile." Raven said, her voice edge in steel.

Robin watched as the beautiful woman's eyes flickered back to his secretary, incline her head in acknowledgement, and murmur, "Forgive me, mon cher, but I 'oped zat I would be able to er..._deliver_ a message to you."

"From whom?"

"Your Fazzer" Odile said, now watching his secretary's face with something akin to amusement.

He watched as Rowena's eyes widened slightly, and her breath hitched a little.

"Oh, it 'as nozzing to do wiz your _current_ assignment, mon cher"

Rowena's shoulders relaxed a little as she replied.

"Another time, Odile." Her voice, her facial expression tight.

"Alright, mon cher, 'ave it your way, but you _will _listen to ze message I bring."

"Understood, _goodnight _Odile." Raven said, turning around and walking away, snagging the elbows of her companions as she dragged them into the night.

Not listening as Odile's melodious laughter chased her all the way home.

**V. **

"Who was that?" Robin asked softly, as if to try and not scare her.

"No one important, eat your food." His secretary replied, her hands tightening slightly on her fork.

"Seemed like someone important to me"

"Well you are mistaken."

"C'mon Winn, we're just worried about you. You looked seriously jumpy that she was there."

She glanced at Cyborg, her expression softening the slightest bit. And Robin felt a slight inking of that emotion that wasn't jealousy creeping on him. (because he was _sure_ it wasn't jealousy, damnit)

Raven looked down at her food, wondering if it was alright to tell them a little bit of herself. Not the _truth_, but perhaps to get them to openly trust her a little more.

Besides, she could always wipe their memories later if they decided to turn on her.

"She's an...acquaintance. She used to be a Prima Ballerina, one of the best in her generation. I met her when I went to one of her performances."

_Never mind that I was there to kill the current prime minister of Russia._

"She was on a downward spiral, I suppose."

"Downward spiral?" Cyborg echoed.

"It's a lot like modeling I suppose, you have to be young, graceful, and beautiful to remain on top. Well, Odile was still graceful and beautiful...but she wasn't as young as she used to be. And in that line of work, someone younger and prettier than you will eventually usurp your place in the spotlight."

"And that's what happened to Odile?"

"...Her last Ballet, _Swan Lake_ ...The troupe director wanted to give her namesake to a pretty new ballerina named Antoinette. Unfortunately for Antoinette, on the night of the premiere, her costume was mysteriously torn to shreds, she couldn't dance that night. Odile played her part for her instead. After that night, she quit ballet and began working for my father."

"Odile...What is her last name?" Cyborg asked.

"Le Creux, why?"

"I've heard that name before, my last secretary was a huge fan of hers." Robin said. Remembering how his last secretary would gush about the gracefulness of the "black swan".

"What about your father?" Cyborg asked, watching intently as Rowena's shoulders stiffened again.

"What about him?"

"You don't seem very glad to have to hear from him."

Raven smiled in a self depreciating sort of way. "Lets just say I have _issues_ with my father and leave it at that."

"...Right. So Rob, how's miss Starfire?" Cyborg asked, changing the subject.

"That was a low blow Cy!"

Cyborg guffawed. "Never knew you had a taste for engaged women. What will the press say now?"

"Shut Up. I didn't know she was engaged."

"Riiight. Mister know it all? Not know?"

"If you don't stop that right now, I'm confiscating your steak"

"Just try it, wonder boy."

**V.**

As they left the restaurant, satiated, and relaxed (in Raven's case, less likely to kill someone) they spotted the French police littered throughout the streets, running back and forth frantically, making calls and trying to calm down the hysterical citizens that were there.

"What's going on?" Cyborg asked, immediately shifting to 'police mode'

"Let's check it out." Robin said, his voice serious, tension hummed through his body.

They walked close to two citizens that were chattering amongst themselves. "Winn, ask them what happened."

Raven obediently did so, already having an inkling of what took place.

"There was a murder." She translated. "Six of them. The police already know who the culprit is, they just haven't been able to catch them."

"Who?" Robin asked.

A sinking feeling flittered through Raven's stomach as she translated. "The Flock."

Cyborg's hands fisted tightly. "Do they know what members of the Flock did this?"

"Not members. Member. There was only one responsible for this." Raven said.

"Who?"

"The Swan."

"How do they know for sure?" Cyborg asked.

"The swan likes to carve her namesake onto the bodies of those she's killed. A swan in preparation for flight. These murders were particularly brutal." She translated.

"How?" Robin asked. His eyes burned angrily for something taking place so close to them without them noticing

"One man's eyes were torn out, another man's ears, and the tongue of the third one. The last three had their necks broken and their hearts torn out." Raven whispered. "All of them had a Swan carved on their backs"

"Hearts torn out?" Robin echoed, horrified.

"Yes."

"Winn, you stay here, Rob, lets go talk to the police, I think I recognize Alverez... What the hell is he doing here?"

As both Cyborg and Robin left, she felt tension building up in her mind. A headache, she told herself. The citizens stuck close to the police, as if thinking that being close to them would bring some sort of protection from the flock.

Fools.

She alone, stood a little away from the police and the citizens. Lurking in a slightly darkened corner, she forced herself to relax.

Until she felt the whisper of cloth, and the brush of cold steel pressed against her throat.

A masked face rested itself near her shoulder.

"Swan." Raven said, as if there wasn't a blade pressed against her throat.

"Raven."

"What do you want?"

"I 'ave a message for you, mon cher, from your fazzer. 'e was very adamant zat you receive it."

"What---?" Raven's head snapped back. Her eyes pulsing an eerie violet glow.

Her dreams, whole and terrifying coiled around her.

The smell of burning flesh. Fire. Ruins. The screams of a dying humanity. Terrified people immortalized in stone. Terror. Hate. Fear. Death.

Her father, in his gigantic demonic glory, laughing his cruel, deep laugh.

Turning to her he said "Don't you see, my little bird? This is what you will bring. _This_ is what you were made for. The end of the world."

"And it. Is. Coming."

Raven's eyes lost their glow. She trembled, unmindful of the blade still pressing against her throat.

She glanced at her hands, saw the symbols that raced across her skin. Glowing an eerie red.

She felt their terror, she felt their fear. She felt their death.

Raven shivered, seeing it all again.

Emotions running high, emotions that were not her own, Raven opened her mouth

And Screamed.

A high arching scream that sent the blood running cold in to young men. A scream that terrified the people around her as well as herself. A scream that elicited a sound of amusement from her captor

And still she screamed.

Then everything went black.

And then there was silence.


End file.
